Broken Seal: The Price of Peace
by sniSllaredruM
Summary: Its been many many years after the Great War. Mankind is at peace and things are looking up but, a harsh trials lies ahead. One that will once again shake the future of mankind. First story, OCs and Origin Cast.
1. Prologue

**The Immortal and the Great War**

Ozpin sat in his office, the new school year was about to begin and there were many individuals he saw with great potential. One even had the gall to forge transcripts to get in. He was about to refute the individual immediately until he had met the young man in the interview and changed his opinion immediately, even keeping the information withheld from his assistant. He was looking forward to watching these individuals grow. They reminded him of himself, he then remembered back when his master told him of eight individuals that fought in a war that would shake the very foundations of the future of this world that is now. He was told that, without them, he would not be sitting in this very chair right now ushering a new era. Where he trained hunters and huntresses to protect their very own futures and goals. There was one detail that plagued his mind about that story though. His teacher had told him that of the eight there was one, who was seemingly immortal and that the man might still be walking even after he himself passed. He had asked the details but, his teacher simply said that the story was passed down from generation to generation and does not know the fine details.

As Ozpin was lost in thought. A stranger had entered his quarters, which he flinched slightly at not expecting to be surprised for he hasn't been surprised like this in a while.

"We need to talk, There isn't much time..." The man in a black and red hoodie, a pair of worn black jeans with a gauntlet in his right hand and, a simple hilt on his waist with surprisingly no blade attached to the hilt. He had messy, short black hair and, three scars running down from left to right on his face with white eyes. His serious demeanor told him everything.

"I'm listening..." gripping his cane ready for a sudden attack.

**Many years ago.**

He looked up while crouched down on the battlefield, his great-sword providing him support, they were fighting for what seemed like days. His soldier's uniform had cuts, gashes, and holes in it from where he had been hit. His wounds healed instantly and, even he himself considered it a curse, while others that on looked envied his seemingly immortal body. He got up as he saw more beowolves flood out the forest, hellbent on besieging the castle he now defended with 12 teams of four huntsmen along with a few dozen soldiers. He his own team was awaiting his command.

Edward, his best friend. favored dual broadswords and was itching to let loose. His short gray hair was soaked in sweat, he was wearing the standard uniform everyone was forced to wear which was long sleeve gray shirt and pants.

Bruno still recalled Edward complaining to him non-stop of how bland it was.

Rachel, who was a person he cared for more than anyone was to the right of him with her hand on his shoulder katana still sheathed on her left. She had Long black hair, which was now slightly ragged over the course of the fight. She was a bunny faunas so she was quick and agile.

Kenta, her brother, simply held up his tower shield and positioned his lance ready for orders. His hair was similar to Bruno's but...more well kept. He had shorter ears than his sister probably due to being a male. He chose the shield and lance despite being of an agile background, he was however still fast, even his team considers him a monster in his own right.

His team understood his gestures and proceeded in formation. There was no talking in the field, it would waste too much energy. Talking was taboo unless urgent, a rule he had established when he was still training with his team.

He heard his best friend say, "Breaks over!" despite their rule, as they all charged into the fray.

The formation allowed them to cover each other's blind spots.

"Bruno! There's Reginald's team! It looks like they need backup!" Bruno glanced over shortly after beheading a beowolf with his massive great-sword, eyeing the situation carefully.

He saw that were were not as many wolves on their side and that made him slightly suspicious but, he made the call, "Edward! Kenta! Back up Arc's team! We've got it handled here!" nodding at Rachel who acknowledge the order falling into their second formation meant for two people.

"GOT IT!" They both rushed over to Reginald Arc's team.

"I hope you know what your doing, with this we have to work extra hard!" As she dashed with her leader cutting many beowolves down along with her leader.

"It looks like your enjoying it though!" He smirked as he did a 180 cleave outward releasing a red auric wave killing many beowolves at once.

"Yea and your aura reserves are insane...Even I can't do those, at least in those sizes." Flourishing her katana flawlessly gutting four beowolves that surrounded them.

"Focus..." Bruno's eyes steeled as he saw a red alpha beowolf which in itself was a rare occurrence. His hunches were right as at least twenty alpha beowolves had followed suit.

"Retreat towards the gates!" he shouted at his teammate, "If we are spread this thin. Bad Red over here will pick us off one by one!" as he backs up with her.

"Right!" She kept retreating hitting any beowolves with a retreating slash, Bruno doing the same.

As the 12 teams and army were literally next to the castle moat bridge, the beowolves were in a massive horde.

Everything was looking bleak when two leaders stepped forward towards the beowolves.

"Arc."

"Sieg."

Both of their auras flashed a brilliant red and white. Both shout a chant to rally their teams and allies.

"We are the defenders of Mankind! We never falter! We never abandon our kin! Let this be a testament to our future! We will fight or die trying!" They practically screamed.

With that many auras were ablaze and the soldiers were roaring, making the horde shrink backward still sneering, all except the red beowolf which howled looking right at Bruno.

"I'm guessing it wants a duel," He puts a hand on Arc's shoulder and looks at all the respective leaders, "I'll handle it." and walks towards the Red wolf.

After a short silence , only the sneers of the beowolves to be heard, Bruno witnessed the red beowolf disappear. He quickly closed his eyes and concentrated, focusing on his target alone. He noticed fast movement which was getting closer to him by the second. He opened his eyes and blocked a giant red claw aimed to shred his body from top to bottom. The red monster disappeared again only to re-appear behind Bruno which he promptly blocks again. Bruno shrugs the weight off his great-sword and begins his counter attack. He swung his blade vertically with his left as the monster dodges out of the way, seeing as it was an opportunity to exploit Bruno's open state, lunged back at him. Bruno barely dodged earning him a claw to the face, though it was not deep enough to cause serious injury.

"No!" Before Rachel could join, she was stopped by Edward and Kenta nodding their heads side to side.

Bruno staggered a bit using his great-sword as a crutch but, through his blood clouded eyes he could make out the monster lunging at him again, mouth open ready to tear his neck out. He shot aura into his arm and sidestepped to the left, earning him the perfect counter. He shot his hand out at the red monster's neck grabbing it and squeezing it, while using pure force to put the monster flat on its back. He grunts as he lifts it back up not letting his grip go. It made a painful whine as it was dragged back up. Bruno releases his grip and twists around as it fell back down. Its hind legs smacked the ground and the creature's neck was met with a hefty greatsword slicing right through it, its severed head rolled towards the horde of beowolves.

The lesser alpha beowolves howled and began to charge in. The humans and faunas all began to run into the fray once more. Cannons and rifles could be heard on the bridge and top of the castle walls.

The fight dragged on for a couple more hours. The horde shrunk back towards the dark forest. Many soldiers and teams lost members either too injured to fight again or died in battle. Only Reginald's and Bruno's team were mostly unscathed.

Bruno looked at his reflection in the water. "Despite high healing ability and 'assumed' immortality, even I cannot escape scars." he chuckled as he felt the three new scars running down from right to left, where he had taken a hit from the red alpha beowolf.

"Its not that bad at least your alive, you could of died back there." Rachel sat down next to her leader. "Plus I think it adds to your style." stifling a laugh. Then she looked at him with longing eyes, "Say...when this is all over...um"

He looked over as to why she had stopped. She was sitting there with her uniform slightly torn at the sleeves and pants having many tears but, no visual cuts on her exposed skin, twiddling her it was not as much as his uniform honestly.

He asks, "Yea? What is it Rachel?"

She blushed a bit but, there wasn't many chances like this, "W-would you like to um, like to,-"

"What is it, something the matter?" He put his head closer to check her temperature, "You seem fine..."

This makes her red up to her ears, "I-I-I ...would you like to go out with me when all this is over!" Closing her eyes, along with her rabbit ears facing downward.

Bruno relaxes when he hears this and honestly he was happy for he had, had feelings for her a long time ago. "Well," He pulled her in closer hearing an 'eep' escape her. "We'll just have to see about that," He said in her ear. She opened her eyes to see Bruno right in front of her face which made her bright red. He smiled as she kept her eyes on him. "Though," He got closer, "I'm going to be selfish and take this as collateral..." He pulled her in for a kiss. She laid her arms around his neck, grasped at his black hair, he entered her mouth which she made an audible moan as the kiss intensified. They pulled away only due to lack of oxygen and stared at each other.

"I'll ask you out properly after all this is over, the kiss however I am keeping." He smiled.

She blushed for the hundredth time that night as he took his hand to pull her up and headed towards the command tent.

**Command Tent**

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we have been fighting a long war with these creatures that we have named Grimm, from the looks of it, many kingdoms are suffering fates similar to our own here in Vale. Dark times are looking ahead of us. The last line of defense is weakening slowly and we are losing valuable men and women everyday in the many skirmishes of defense and siege," Commander Higgs paces back and forth while continuing, "Do not despair everyone! We may be able to turn this around! Its a big gamble but!"

He puts his hands on the table for a minute then points towards two spots on the map that are not too far from Vale's borders, "We may be able to seal these dark creatures! If we can pull this off we can clean up a fair amount of the Grimm already in this world...Though...we can only send two teams for this looking at our forces," as he surveys the room which had less than 30 huntsmen in the huge tent, "That has already been decided also." As the hands that were up were shot down,

He motioned, "Bruno's team will hit the area to the left of Vale while Reginald Arc's team will hit the other...Rest up all of you, we will be here waiting of your return and we will hold the fort down as long as we can for your safe return..." He salutes everyone and walks out.

**Outside Tent**

"Arc, good luck!" Bruno sticks his hand out.

"You too my friend. May we be victorious." Shaking his hand.

"Oh, and if one of our teams were to never return...but, the mission is accomplished...even if it wasn't your teams doing... Take the credit. These people need Heroes!" Bruno says with full confidence.

"Hopefully that does not happen but, if such a situation should happen then which ever team is back home will take the credit." shaking hands with the man one more time. Then adds in, "If we both make it, we both take credit." smiling

"Deal, even though we don't particular care about glory!" as they both laugh wholeheartedly, "Now if you excuse me Arc, I have a certain someone to meet." Bruno walks off.

"Have fun with Rachel!"

"You're too sharp Arc!" he shouted back not looking back.

This mission boosted the moral of all the soldiers and hunters combined. If they succeeded the war would be over.

**Two days later at the temple.**

The temple had strange black markings on the inside. They were similar to the ones on the outside yet these were way more ominous. Large, wide, uneven steps littered the way up, pillars were in perfect alignment on both sides guiding the way all the way up. Bruno's Team had been fighting the whole way. Piles of grimm were laid out along with what seemed like a fountain of black blood. The horde was never ending and it only seemed to get worse as they neared the peak with glowing blue ruins at the top.

"There's too many!" Edward leaped back while swinging his blades in retreating fashion fatigue was setting in for everyone.

"WE can't falter here!" Bruno charges in front of Edward Kenta following suit, pummeling and slashing many various grimm in the way. The sealing altar was in sight, surrounded by a horde of grimm.

"Move!" Rachel's left hand emits a purple light, she shot outwards towards Bruno and Kenta her brother. Both dodge out of the way with the purple beam shooting past the line of the horde. Shortly after, a path is made as many grimm literally disintegrate. The team as a whole rushes in the newly made gap, Bruno taking point bashing any new grimm out of the way with this large sword and Kenta taking the rear.

"This is crazy!" Edward slashes at anything stupid enough to get in their reach. He looked towards where their destination and adrenaline rushed as he saw they were literally three steps away.

The three form a semi circle to protect their leader as he ran up to the middle of the altar.

Bruno saw ancient markings embroidered on the side. He touched the middle and it seemed to do nothing. They were given no prior knowledge on what to do when they were actually there. Their only job was to actually seal whatever gate this led to. He kept his hand on the altar as he contemplated on slicing it in half or to search around. He didn't have time for the latter. He was about to pull his hand away reaching for his great-sword when everything seemed to go distant.

"_Immortal One cursed to never die, the one who will oversee the worlds growth with his own hands. You who defies fate itself. This chamber is only half the puzzle, fortunately for you, the one you call Reginald Arc has accomplished the other half of the task, unfortunately for you... the rest of your team will die here...leaving only you." _Bruno looked around but to no avail it was completely dark. He listened to the last words and wanted to get out of this state. He wanted to save them to get them out of the temple.

A blood hurling scream pulled him out of the trance. He ran up and looked over at his team still defending. Only Edward was in the inner circle blood rushing out of the new gash that laid across his chest.

"Shit!" He jumped down and tended to Edward who was shaking horrendously. "Stay with me!" He ripped his sleeves off and attempted to stop the bleeding.

Edward was coughing uncontrollably as he looked up at Bruno. "I-" He had coughed up a good amount of blood.

'Not good that means it was filling up his lungs' As Bruno desperately tried to apply aura and pressure to the gash.

"I-I won't make it bud..." He hears Bruno's distant yelling. Everything was going dark, he wanted to stay, there were still grimm out there fighting the rest of his team.

The light faded his green eyes and his face deathly pale.

Bruno closed his dead dilated eyes. "Rest in peace my friend." He stood up and pulled out his great-sword. "You soulless bastards..." Aura seeped out from his shoulders, his eyes turned red, he looked to his left and right to see Kenta and Rachel struggling, they were clearly fatigued. Before he could make a move, the temple shook, the pillars began to fall, and small rocks fell from the ceiling. He snapped out of his rage and yelled out to his two remaining team members while passing a regretful look towards his fallen best friend.

"We have to get out of here!" He crushed his emotions and leaped in front of his two remaining teammates and poured aura into his sword, slashed vertically emitting a dark red aura wave clearing a huge path. "GO!" as the trio dashed into the gap.

The rumbling getting progressively more violent as they neared the entrance clearing hordes of grimm out of the way.

The horde was persistent as Bruno was constantly sending out waves. Clearing major gaps only to make half the distance, only to be filled with dozens of more grimm. He could not do this forever however as the fatigue started to set in, his reserve was massive he knew but, he was still human so mental and physical limits still applied to him.

The temple entrance was in sight. They were pretty much home free until a red ursa major, a red boarbatusk, and another red alpha beowolf showed up at the entrance.

"We have to get past them!" Bruno charges forward as the trio of monsters charge right at him. Bruno dodges the claw attack of the Ursa yet he has no time to punish the ursa due to the boar charging at him shortly after the stroke. It caused him to jump, seeing a claw coming at him to the side. He blocks the claw swipe of the beowolf sending him towards the entrance. Rachel and Kenta are now in-between monsters and himself.

Rachel and Kenta smile bitterly as they both send out restraint glyphs on the trio of monsters. "Go! We'll hold them!"

"No! I can't leave you here, we do NOT leave each other behind!" Bruno lunges at the stuck ursa major but, the ursa still manages to block him sending him backwards losing his sword in the process.

"None of us will make it out alive if these three come out with us and you know we cannot move during this spell without it weakening! GO! NOW!" Rachel looks at him with tears streaming down her face.

Bruno screams and was about to go against their orders when a glyph appears in front of him.

"Sorry Bruno, I can't see you dieing here," Kenta had fired another glyph sending Bruno spiraling out of the entrance of the temple shortly after the rocks began to fall the whole mountain seem to collapse inward much to Bruno's horror.

"No! No! No! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!" He smacked the entrance of what used to be the temple.

His grief is cut off short by snarls and growls.

He stays silent as he reaches for his great-sword, which wasn't there, the great-sword must of been left inside the temple. Anger and rage takes over as his whole body is reinforced with aura, he takes up a fighting stance and charges forward.

**One day later Vale Castle**

Reginald Arc had returned with his team, they weren't in the best shape but, they were victorious.

"The gate has been sealed! We are victorious! Only the current grimm remain!" The man shouted at the castle gate. Shortly after, there was a large roar from the soldiers and hunters with raised moral.

Evening had fallen and the horde never seemed to come that night, Reginald guessed the majority of the horde was taken out by his team and Bruno's team which he didn't see at all for the past eight hours. He was growing worried and was constantly reassured by his teammate Mika, that they were alright and that Bruno was an exceptional leader, rivaling even the Arc's leadership skills which he did not doubt whatsoever. His team was truly fearsome in its own right but, Bruno's team and teamwork were a level of their own. His hopes dropped when he stepped out of the castle gates to see the what the men reported.

There stood a lone Bruno, his uniform shredded, dried blood all over his pants and shirt both his own and what seemed like grimms. He wasn't smiling and he wasn't rejoicing. He knew the look in his eyes too well, it was the look of regret and despair. Reginald ran out to help the ragged warrior into the castle which Bruno simply just let him. All he could hear from the warrior was the words 'I'm sorry. I couldn't save you all.' as he was pulled into the medical tent.

The doctors dismissed Bruno right away, he had no visible injuries, only numerous scars across his chest, most of them old scars but, Reginald saw numerous new ones. He eyed Bruno and asked a bold question.

"What happened back there? What happened to Rachel,Edward, and Kenta?" He looked at at the reaction of the warrior and immediately regretted it.

"They're dead Arc, Edward died protecting me while I investigated the rune at the top. Rachel and Kenta..." He pulled his hand into fists, his eyes hardened looking down. "Three red monsters attacked us...All with unimaginable strength worthy of their status. The temple was collapsing on top of us there was no time to fight them off. We were already fatigued and probably could not fight all three off regardless." He shot his head up looking at the ceiling and continued, "Rachel and Kenta were put behind the monsters and myself which was now at the entrance after I had dodged their numerous attacks..." He fought back the urge to spill his emotions, "They activated their restraint glyphs, it took the two of them to even slow down all three at once, they told me to get out of there, I couldn't leave them behind."

"We do not leave our kin behind." Arc stated

"Yes we do not." Bruno continued, "I was not about to let them! I was more than willing to die with them but, they-," Tears now streaming down his face without his notice, "Kenta hit me with a glyph that hurled me out of the entrance as the temple crumbled inward, crushing everything under it." He smacked his thigh, "Damn it! I was useless! I hold this much power!" He stretched out his arm a great-sword appearing on his right hand which was red, embroidered with ancient symbols and with the ancient symbols appearing on his arm, "Yet I wasn't able to save my friends!"

Arc put his hand on his shoulder, "Its not your fault Bruno, There was nothing you could do, If anything take the blessing your friends have given you at a chance at life and live it for all of them." He didn't need to encourage the warrior as he stood up.

"I know...I will live, I will live enough lifetimes for all of them." He looked at Arc with a serious face. "I know I will." his red eyes from the tears beamed at him full of determination.

"Good, we are huntsmen, and heroes and most of all human living along side faunas. Come let us report to the commander and I'll be sure to put them on the list of heroes including yourself." taking the hand of his friend Bruno pulling him up as they walked towards the commander's tent.

The next few months were cleaning up grimm infested areas and working back relations with other kingdoms which ushered a time of prosperity. At least for now.

The three killed in action were given the highest honor, with their medals stored within the hall of fame within the castle. Bruno had disappeared after the ceremony on the day that was considered the end point of the war.


	2. Chapter 1

_**Chance**_

Two men of considerable power stood in the Headmaster's Office of Beacon. One man, who owned said office, was fully alert. The second man he deducted to have immense skill, enough skill to not be detected by himself. Many considered his school the best and he himself wasn't a push over. Many of his colleagues consider him a league of his own.

The other man seemed read his intent and reached into his pocket.

"Calm down, I have something urgent to say," As he placed a golden medal embroidered with crossed axes decorated with wreaths underneath the two weapons. The medal had blue and white stripes attached to it.

"The highest honor the kingdom of Vale has to offer..." Ozpin eyed the medallion on his desk.

He knew only 12 medals have been given out. The majority of the medals were given during the great war. Specifically, to the heroes who had given mankind a future against the Grimm. He looked up at the scarred man and repeated the question.

"Who are you?" He stood up relaxing his grip.

The man sighed and stated. "Bruno Sieg, I used to be a huntsmen under the order of Vale's army itself. A fairly long time ago at least." As he reached his left hand out to shake, "Sorry, the gauntlet has kinda malfunctioned during a recent battle, forgive my rudeness. What took place is the reason why I am here." Ozpin shook his hand but before he could continue, "Funny how tech changes over the years, I still feel comfortable with a classic weapon. This whole mecha-shift thing sometimes makes weapons unreliable...too many jams!" smacking his gauntlet.

"Mecha-shifting is not exactly new Mr. Sieg...surely you jest." smiling at the man still lightly hitting his gauntlet." he motioned with his left. "What is so urgent for you to sneak into my office and why not to the kingdom itself?"

"Well, first of all, the kingdom cannot help with this matter. Second, there are certain individuals here that can and must be shaped in order to protect the very world itself." His demeanor suddenly shifted to a more serious tone, " They are rising again. The creatures of Grimm."

"Impossible! They were sealed by the eight heroes of the great war! Thanks to them the Grimm numbers are so low they do not really pose a threat to us now." as he reached for his coffee mug.

"Well, with the outcome I've concluded myself on. They are slowly regaining numbers and power." He pulled out his scroll, "Especially when I fought one of these..." setting his scroll on the desk for Ozpin to see.

"Mother of Remnant, that is not what I think it is...those types were supposed to be eradicated 70 years after the war!" on the scroll was a red alpha beowolf, though it was smaller than described in the books.

"Right, this one is a fresh one. Though, its enough to take out most hunters out today. No offense but these peaceful times have made people considerably weak. Most of them anyway." He pointed at one of the chairs, "Mind if I take a seat?"

"Forgive me, of course." He gestured at the chair then questioned, "If what you are saying its true...How long do we have? Who are these individuals in this school that are of importance to you?"

"I don't know the exact time limit we have...My guess is three to four years...I went to the temple and there was a slight difference from the many visits I've made. The individuals? I don't know who they are. That's something you and I are going to have to figure out. Mostly coming from me which comes to another request. Allow me to be in the school and watch over the students from a distance, you have fine instructors from what I've seen in the small time frame I've been here, I will not interrupt them I assure you."

"Then, I must introduce you publicly if I were to allow that." He still doubted his legitimacy despite the obvious worn out medallion in front of him.

"Sure, no problem! I'd like to see the faces of your future students anyway." He stood up to take his leave, "So deal?"

"First, a little confirmation for safety measures, how long did you serve under the kingdom."

The man sighed, "You won't believe me, even if I told you Ozpin."

"Hit me with it." He raised an eyebrow.

"The great war." keeping a serious face and tone.

Ozpin went wide eyed. Then laughed hysterically. "That would make you over 300 years old!" He then hit his scroll. "Hello, Mrs. Goodwitch? I'd like you to see a gentlemen out of my office."

"If you don't believe me...I'm also immortal." He pointed at his chest, "Try me."

"Mr. I'm sorry, Bruno surely you are not. I almost believed your little story. I am not going to commit a murder." Professor Goodwitch now entered clearly not amused at the man intruding the headmaster.

Bruno pulled out his hilt. "I'll make you then." His body flashed red slightly as the hilt was no longer a hilt but, a large red great-sword. The blade was white and one sided going into the blade one inch in then converting red all the way to the other end which was thick.

Before both professors could react he was already behind Ozpin ready to strike. He swung with his left hand at the headmaster with unreal speed aiming at his neck.

"If I was truly serious, both of you would be dead right now." He powered down his blade leaving only the hilt. "I am telling the truth. If you want to prove my legitimacy...Kill me right here right now."

Sweat dropped from Ozpin but, before he could tell the man to calm down his assistant already made the move to deal with the threat. A blue glyph appeared and a shard of ice was thrown at the direction of both himself and Bruno were standing. Ozpin moved out of the way but Bruno did not. He saw Bruno smiling as the icicle smashed right through him leaving a gaping hole in his chest.

"Oh lord! He didn't even dodge! He wanted to die!" His assistant yelled as she ran over to the body. She stopped when the man stood up right before her eyes.

"Amateur glyphs like that won't kill anyone." Bruno stood up audibly complaining at his ruined cloths which had a three inch gaping hole in it.

Ozpin and his assistant were astounded. They just witnessed a man get impaled by an ice shard to the chest and he stood up with not even a scratch, only old scars were visible from the newly made hole. He was even complaining and calling a professionals glyph work amateurish!

"I-I-I Believe you now." Was all Ozpin could mutter.

"Deal then?" He started walking past them towards the door. The hole that used to be there had been patched, like it was never there.

"Y-Yes." He stuttered

Goodwitch bowed her head, "Forgive me."

Bruno stopped and look over his shoulder, "Not a problem I've been through worse over 300 years. A little more work and you'll be one tenth of my teammates skill level before her demise! I'll see you at initiation then..." He closes the door behind him.

"Glynda, what have we gotten ourselves into and if he is telling the whole truth, mankind will be tested again in three to four years." He plopped down into his seat. His assistant followed him shortly after sitting in the chair that the man had sat in.

**Entrance of Beacon  
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Bruno sat at one of the many public benches near the landing pads of Beacon. He was situated on the end furthest away from where the new recruits were slowly trickling out of the ship. He decided it would not hurt to get a sneak peak at the students to see if any had potential. He was not worried about not fitting in either. He owed it to his immortality literally freezing his age. He still looked like, at most, a senior of the school. He still had his hood up not to garner attention from any curious child wanting to know how he got his scars.

He grew disappointed as the last of the ships arrive. Not one of the students that poured out of those ships felt like they had any potential! Maybe he was wrong, he was about to get up and call off the deal with Ozpin when a peculiar scene played out before him.

"Hey! What are you doing!" A chilly voice rang out in the middle of the circular square.

A young girl with pure white hair and combat dress with red inner lining stood over an even younger girl with black and red tinted hair and a black and red lined dress. A scarf wrapped around her shoulders which formed a hood along with her attire. The first one not being amused at all at the woman who seemed to have tripped over a bunch of dust cases.

"Sorry!" The black haired girl said.

"Sorry? You could if caused some serious damage! Maybe even end both our lives!" The platinum blonde was literally pointing her finger at her.

The other girl picks up a case and apologizes again for her actions. The other grabs the case away and opens it suddenly.

"This is Dust! Mined from the Schnee quarry! Are you listening to me?" Eyeing the other girl with an icy glare.

Bruno chuckled slightly, he noticed the case was not secured correctly, the bottles were leaking out faint amounts of dust, and to top it all off the dunce was waving it in the air spilling more of the red dust into the air. He knew without a doubt these actions were going to cause some repercussions and he was correct. He just witnessed the girl in black attire sneeze, causing a reaction with the potent dust in the air causing an effective explosion. The red dust container flew over in his direction but stopped rolling due to it hitting the foot of another young girl caught up in a book. He eyed this girl suspiciously, what was a faunas doing hiding her features like she was?

"This is not your ordinary combat school! We're here to fight monsters! Watch where your going!" the white haired girl practically screaming.

"Sorry princess!" The black haired girl flaring anger in her words.

"Heiress actually, Weiss Schnee, Heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, one of the largest dust producers in this world." The girl with a bow-tie hiding her faunas features said interrupting the argument. She wore black and white attire, the cloths seemed to fit her style of combat.

"Finally, some recognition." turning to the girl in the purple bow.

"The same company known for its questionable partners and controversial labor forces."

The girl was at a loss for words not making a witty retort. She just eyed the girl and pulled the dust out of her hand walking away.

"I'll make it up to you!" The black haired girl waved at the furious girl.

Bruno watched as the faunas walked away from the black haired girl. The girl collapsed and laid flat on the ground. He then saw a boy walk up. He had to take a double take. The boy looked like the spitting image of his very old friend and fellow leader from way back. The blonde hair and blue eyes were uncanny, just like Reginald's. He looked for a visible weapon and saw what he was looking for, Crocea Mors though, it was vastly different to his friend's, this one seemed more on the plain side. 'Damn Arc, your blood line is strong if even today your descendants look like you.' He couldn't help but smile. Then his smile faded away as he eyed the boy more carefully. He detected not one ounce of aura leaking out of this boy. Everyone else at this school had varying amounts of aura leaking out of them, but are invisible to untrained eyes, steadily due to their not yet polished combat skills and experience. In fact, the girl next to him had faint aura leaking out of her. He on the other hand not one single bit, not even on the inside. This worried him greatly, How was he to survive all the years here? At the most prestigious and rigorous academies in Remnant?

"Hi, I'm Jaune Arc." The boy held out his hand to help the girl up.

"Ruby." she nearly burst out laughing, "Aren't you the guy that threw up on the ship!"

Bruno got up and headed towards the headmaster's office once again to meet up for the entrance ceremony. He also wanted to talk about why he had accepted a boy who has not even unlocked his aura. He was an Arc but, any professional could see plain as day he was not ready for this kind of setting. He saw vast potential in the boy but, he did not want to see that potential die out here.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2** – Night before Initiation

**Before the opening ceremony**

Ozpin was reviewing the remaining paperwork that had to be done by the time the ceremony started when he heard a knock on his door. He could not sense who was on the other side but, he made a wild guess.

"Come in," Bruno opens the door rushing inside. "Mr. Sieg, the ceremony does not start for another hour. What may I assist-"

"Well, I want to know exactly what will be happening during this ceremony," His mood shifts to a serious and worrying tone, " And I want to know exactly why you have accepted an applicant that has no experience at all!"

"The ceremony is simple Mr. Sieg, I make a speech...Then I introduce you of course," He takes a sip of his coffee mug then continues, "Who is this applicant you think is not worthy of being here Mr. Sieg and how do you know he has no 'real' experience."

"I heard his name while he was helping a girl up, I believe his name is Jaune Arc. He does not produce nor does he leak aura meaning only one thing! He has no aura! You unlock aura through many years of training. If he has none he is a walking dead man on this campus to himself and those around him!" jabbing his hands on the headmasters desk, eagerly awaiting the headmasters logic of accepting the boy.

"Well, other than not having no 'real' experience what else did you see Mr. Sieg."

"I saw vast potential, possibly as much potential, if not more, than anyone here but," He was interrupted before he could finish.

"Exactly Mr. Sieg, he has a vast amount of potential. My school is to help individuals realize their potential. It is because of that quality he has that I have allowed him to enter," Taking another sip from his mug.

"If he dies here, he won't ever see his potential Ozpin!" Bruno raises his voice, "I have lived over 300 years, I've seen many with potential die before they have reached their pinnacles, I have seen my own team die before my eyes, they all had potential! Possibly more than I could ever become! I-" Bruno suddenly stops, he realized his emotions had taken over.

"Mr. Sieg, calm down, I know what your getting at but, my decisions are almost always right, I know you have vast amounts of experience on me but, my intuition told me that he'll be fine. Again, trust me, besides, If he gets into any amount of trouble...You will surely help him in his time of need right?" Then in a more sympathetic tone, "I am sorry for the loss of your team."

"That was well over 280 years ago, don't sweat it Ozpin, it seems no matter how much time has passed I can't help but blurt it out emotionally but, I don't want to see that happen, especially to this student."

"You'll just have to trust me." He stood up and walked around his desk, "Shall we head towards the auditorium?"

The two men step out of the office with Ozpin's assistant greeting the both of them. They all head towards to where the new students are gathering.

**Opening ceremony**

Ozpin walks up to the podium and briefly surveys the crowd. The new applicants as a whole were a fairly large number though, he expected the numbers to fall as initiation begins and students drop out.

He then begins his speech, "I'll...keep this brief. You have traveled here today in search of knowledge-to hone your craft and acquire new skills-and when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy, in need of purpose-direction. You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step."

As he ended his speech he chuckled slightly as he could hear the students in the front row whisper about how "off" the speech was. He then makes another announcement."Also, this year will be a bit...special," This catches almost all the students attention, even the attention of a few seniors in the upper stands, "This year and all of this year we will have a very special guest. He is an old war veteran and holds the highest honor that the kingdom of Vale has to offer. He is mainly here to just observe...so show your best out there students," Ozpin motions towards Bruno.

Bruno walks up and past Ozpin with a bright smile while taking the floor.

"Ahem, I know this is short notice and all but, as what the headmaster has informed you all, I will be here throughout this year," Bruno surveys the crowd and chuckles at the disbelief their faces show, "My name is Bruno Sieg, few actually know my name but, what the headmaster says is true, I am a war veteran. I look forward to watching you hopefuls grow over the course of this year." He nods and gives the floor to Professor Goodwitch.

"You will gather in the ballroom tonight, tomorrow initiation begins. Be ready, you are dismissed."

As the three walk off the stage voices of the students fill the auditorium.

* * *

><p>Ruby who has been right next to her sister, Yang Xiao Long, questions her, "Why do I recognize that guy?"<p>

"Rubes, that's the guy that we saw sitting on a bench before I ditched you remember? For a war vet he seems way too young, and whats with the eyes? I know you have silver eyes but white? Pure white? Come on!" she continues, "On another note, the headmaster seemed a little 'off' huh?"

"Yea, its like he wasn't even there." Ruby agrees

A certain yellow haired boy cuts in saying to the heiress next to Ruby, "I'm a natural born blonde ya know!"

Weiss just squeezes her forehead in annoyance.

**Later that evening**

The new applicants were all resting (well some) in the ballroom hall. The hall was rather large, as expected to be. It looked rather boring without decorations but, the students were only there to rest, not to dance.

Bruno had declined the headmaster's offer for a room. He preferred the endless clear night sky over a concrete roof. He picked out a perfect spot with a decently sized tree which was not too far from the ballroom yet, far enough to not hear the children inside it. He wanted this peace to last. He looked up at the broken moon and wished that the future would not be so bloody. He smiled bitterly knowing the upcoming events would not, could not be stopped. All he could do was prepare them for it. One man cannot stop a legion of Grimm and he knew that too well.

While deep in thought he does not notice a fiery yellow haired girl under his tree.

"Isn't it a bit late to be staring out into the endless sky?" He joked.

"I just needed a bit of space, my little sister can be a handful at times though I love her for who she is," she paused for a brief moment, "I could say the same to you about staring into the sky, you were so out of it any Grimm could have snatched you right then and there!"

"Haha you may be right but, I doubt it would be Grimm that sneak up on me, the stealth class of Grimm are rare indeed at least nowadays," He shifts on his branch, "I never caught your name."

"Yang Xiao Long, and for a war vet you are pretty young." she looked up at the man.

"Yea, if I told you my real age you would not even believe me." He looked down at her, realizing she wasn't trying to hide any of her assets, so he simply jumps down for now.

"Oh? Did not like what you saw?"

"Lady, I am far too old to consider you."

"You don't look old that's for sure and, mind if I ask you a question?" she jumped in front of him.

"Hit me with it." he perked up one eyebrow.

"I wanted to know if your eyes are genetic, you know the whole family thing." genuinely curious.

He looked at her and was honestly surprised, out of all the things to ask him she asks about his eyes? He answers, "No, they are not genetic...you could say its a consequence to the power I attained, they used to be a shade of red or crimson as my teammates used to call it."

"That's kind of like my semblance! Except its kind of the opposite, my eyes turn red the more damage I take, and in turn I get stronger." She was about to continue when she gets interrupted.

"Now Yang, you shouldn't readily reveal your semblance, I know they taught you this in combat school, plus semblance is such a fickle thing, just because you know the general idea of what it does, does not mean you know everything about it," he waits for her acknowledgment then he adds, "You are only beginning to discover more about your semblance, you could say the more you know about yourself, the more you will know about your semblance. They kind of go hand in hand heh."

"I know not to reveal it to just anyone, I said it to you because I know I can probably trust you." she smiles

"How could you just up and trust me. We've just met." he looks at her incredulously

"Gut feeling." she begins to walk back to the ballroom.

"Well, have a good rest Yang." waving her farewell.

"Night." she waved back smiling

Bruno jumps back up into his tree and chuckles. He thought to himself, for a young girl, she is pretty sharp, How sharp? He didn't don't know. All he knew was the question might have been an indirect one. After all, his eyes are a definite abnormality he cannot hide. Her semblance worried him a bit but, he decided to worry about it another time. All he knew was it was time to get some shut-eye.

**Ballroom**

Yang had made it back to her sister and their designated spot to rest for the night. She had more questions for that war vet but, she decided to leave them for later. She was satisfied with the answer he had given her. She was about to go to bed when she looked in the direction of where they had met. She could still see his silhouette in the moonlight. She just shrugged it off and closed her eyes only to be questioned by her sister.

"Yang, where you been! You kinda ditched me after the many attempts to talk to the girl with the bow!" She looked over to see an annoyed Ruby Rose.

"I needed some fresh air Rubes besides I felt you could handle it." She merely turned over the opposite direction. Sleep was calling and it was hitting hard.

"Well, it didn't go as well as you thought. Good night Yang." Little did she know she was already knocked out.

* * *

><p>Jaune who is on the far end of the ballroom is laying on his sleeping bag. In Onesies, bunny Onesies, he had a hard time finding sleep. Its one thing to sneak into a school he had thought. Its another to sneak into a COMBAT school. Not only that, a COMBAT SCHOOL for people with at least a hefty amount of combat experience!<p>

He shook his head driving all the negative thoughts out of his brain. He was here already and he was not stopping until he had proved himself. He just hoped tomorrow's initiation would not kill him. He just grasped his Corcea Mors beside him. Eventually, sleep deprivation took over and he passed out.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 – Initiation**

It is now the day of initiation, a boy in a green male foreign combat suit wakes up to a hyperactive female.

"Wake up lazy butt!" The orange haired girl in pink and white Valkyrie attire says to the sleep deprived boy. All he could do was make an audible sigh as the girl sung about how its morning over and over again.

The boy had patience that would make any man envious as the girl talked to him nonstop from brushing his teeth, retrieving his sleeping bag, eating breakfast and all the way up to the lockers! He continues to let the girl ramble on even after finding his locker leaving all his belongings except for his weapons: Stormflower; when he suddenly stops her after hearing about how to guarantee being on the same team together by making a sloth call sound.

"Nora." The boy catches the attention of the Valkerie

"Yes Ren?" she stopped rambling in an instant.

"I don't think sloths make any noise..." concealing his weapons.

She looks around for a few seconds then comes to a conclusion, "THAT'S WHY ITS PERFECT! No one will suspect we're working together!" Making a mischievous face.

He closes his locker, "Come on Nora lets go." walking off towards the meet point for initiation.

Ruby and Yang over hear the noisy partners as they leave their locker.

"Whats with those two." Ruby asks her sister.

"Not exactly sure, anyhow whats got you in a good mood?" Yang asks

"Today is the day I don't have to socialize! It will just be me and my weapon, Crescent Rose!" She cradles her weapon. "I'll let my sweetheart do the talking!"

"Well, Ruby remember you're not the only one going through initiation, if you want to grow up your going to have to meet new people, and learn to work together." Yang making a valid argument.

"You sound just like dad!" she scowled.

As they bickered a confused Jaune Arc walks past them.

"This is ridiculous! There is no way I put my gear in locker 636 yesterday! I would of remembered to count that high!" He continued to walk on until he saw a certain heiress next to a red and gold amazon.

"So Pyrrah, have you any thoughts about who's team you would like to be on? I'm sure everyone would be eager to unite with someone so well known and as strong as you are." Weiss attempted to gain the amazon's favor.

Pyrrah simply says, "Hmm I'm not sure, I was planning on letting the chips fall where they may."

As Weiss begins to scheme (while looking a little creepy) Jaune cuts in breaking her thoughts.

"You know what else is great? Me. Jaune Arc, Nice to meet ya." leaning against the locker cutting in-between the two.

"You again?" Weiss is not too pleased.

Pyrrah cuts in-between the two, "Nice to meet you! Jaune!" Only to be pushed aside by him.

"Yea yea, So Weiss I couldn't help but over hear your fondness of me during the ceremony the other day..."

"You've got to be kidding me." Weiss puts her palm up to her head.

"No need to feel embarrassed, so...Been hearing rumors about teams~ and I was thinking we would make a great team. So what do ya say." Jaune says disregarding the obvious.

"Actually, I think the teams are comprised of four people." Pyrrah explains.

Jaune skips over to her, "Well hot stuff, play your cards right and you could join the winning team~"

Weiss cuts in "Do you know who this is?"

"Uh, no not in the slightest Snow Angel." Jaune is confused.

"This is Pyrrah." she adds

"Yea, and?" still confused

"She graduated top of her class at Sanctum." she adds another point.

"Never heard of it." still really confused.

"Ugh, Shes won the Mystral Regional Tourneys four years in a row!" The heiress was getting angry.

"The wat" Jaune was not getting it.

"Shes ON THE FRONT OF EVERY PUMPKIN PETES CEREAL BOX." Waving her hands wildly in the air.

"THATS YOU! They only do that for star athletes and cartoon characters!" Of course he would get that one.

"Yea but, the cereal is not very good for you sadly..." Pyrrah adds in.

"After hearing all this," the heiress continues, "Do you honestly think you have a chance at having her on your team."

"Your probably right." he agrees dejectedly

"Actually Jaune, You'd make a great leader." Pyrrah puts her hand on his shoulder.

"Ohhh stop it!" He clasps both his hands together.

"Seriously, please stop it this behavior should not be." Weiss denies

"Sounds like Pyrrah's on board for team Jaune, spots are filling up quick, don't worry maybe I can pull a few strings for you. Even, if I'm not supposed to do this." He gets way too close to her personal space.

"Now t-that's too close! Pyrrah do something!" She pleads.

Jaune turns around and his eyes go wide as he her spear going right passed him catching his hood pinning him to the wall.

"I'm sorry!" She apologizes.

**Outside locker room hall way leading to initiation area: Beacon Cliffs**

Bruno was finally done disassembling his gauntlet, "I swear, the damn thing is more complicated than any old fashion gauntlet I've ever worn!" he mutters to himself stretching his right arm as he walks past the locker room while enjoying the non-existent gauntlet taking up over half his arm length.

He hears a small yelp and a thud as he passes the student locker room which makes him stop for a second. He shrugs it off and continues to where the headmaster and his assistant are awaiting the students.

He smiles as he hears the announcement from Professor Goodwitch, "Will all first year students report to Beacon Cliff for initiation, again, will all first year students report to Beacon Cliff for initiation."

"Time to see who are able to aid in the upcoming struggle." He mutters to himself as he nears the exit.

Weiss and Pyrrah are not too far behind him. Pyrrah eyes the man suspiciously as they walk.

Ruby, Yang and Jaune are right behind Weiss and Pyrrah.

Yang whispers to Ruby, "Hey look its that war vet, whats his name? Bruno? Sieg? Yea Bruno Sieg, I can't help but think that guy is full of mysteries."

"Yang, you think that about every guy." She says out loud.

"No way! Not every guy!" She denies and says inwardly. 'This is different, this is not the feeling I get when I see a decent looking man, I can't explain it either.'

"Why do I feel like I've heard of him before..." Jaune mutters out loud.

**Beacon Cliff:**

Bruno could not believe it. He just had a talk with the headmaster about a certain student, and he tells all of them they are literally going to be launched a couple hundred feet in the air! The poor boy looked like he was at his wits end! He looked at Ozpin hiding his incredulous look and simply saw him smiling as each student gets launched, and with every launch the Arc boy looked like was about to keel over.

Bruno finally sees the poor boy get launched and the other students shortly after. He immediately shouts at Ozpin. "You crazy mother-"

Ozpin stops him half way, "Watch."

He hands him a scroll showing multiple camera views, The amount of views was appalling. The whole forest felt mapped out. He then looked towards the sky where Jaune was falling (haphazardly) down. He was about to go save the boy when he was stopped.

"Look down to where you see trees being pummeled, I'm sure you will get a camera view of her soon." Ozpin assures him.

Soon enough he saw the amazon, the camera recognized her and displayed her name, "Pyrrah Nikos," He muttered out loud. He immediately saw her land on a stable tree after breaking through many with her shield, pull out her javelin and aimed towards Jaune who was still falling getting imminently closer to where he would crash and die. He smiled as he watched her throw her javelin at the boy. "Her aim is top level Ozpin. Also...We may have a problem." he sighed.

"Whats the problem?"

"I don't know about Arc, his family, brilliant at fighting, not too sharp on anything else other than battle tactics but, the Nikos family...I also had relations with them...Close relations due Reginald Arc being a close friend and fellow leader of mine..." he sat down on the grass then continued, "The Nikos family has always been decent in both aspects...I wouldn't be surprised if stories about me were passed down..." Sighing once again.

"Interesting...So you knew both the Arc family and the Nikos family...So I'm guessing you fought along side Agis Nikos." He continued to monitor the students seeing Ruby and Weiss team up, Jaune being saved from being pinned to a tree by Pyrrah causing both men to chuckle, Yang and Blake meeting up in a fancy fashion.

"Yes you are correct, you sure know your stuff." Bruno watched on as a boy named Lie Ren caught his eye, the boy was fighting a King Taijitu and he was fairly skilled for his age. He guessed by his foreign attire that he boy had trained mainly in aura control as the boy knew some advanced aura control techniques.

He watched on as Ren negates the damage from the head bash the snake delivered with aura. Ren continued to dodge and strike until the head of the snake came down directly upon him. Ren backflips dodging the strike giving him the perfect opening to come down upon the head. Ren impales the head with both blades of his guns in a downward motion.

"Hmm..." Bruno watches as the second white head appears behind Ren. He sees the head and flips out of the way. He remains calm as both heads attack him. He dodges the black head and runs on top of it pulling out Stormflower and shooting auric bullets out of it, the bullets impale the snake but seem to not flinch it. The white head of the snake disarms him causing him to fall over. The black counter-part immediately follows after. Ren reaches up and creates an auric barrier around his hands, effectively blocking the attack. Bruno is impressed with his aura control as he took it a step further, breaking off the fangs of the black side, using the fangs to counter the second strike stabbing it in the eye. He made a palm strike towards the fang sticking out of its eye. Bruno saw a magenta force wave come out of the strike causing the fang to shatter as it embedded deeper into the head causing the head to explode. He grabbed Stormflower and finished off the remaining head.

"Thats one..." He stops his sentence as he watches Pyrrah and Jaune. He panics as he sees her doing something only most experienced hunters consider doing. She was unlocking Jaune's aura. He stands up and looks over to Ozpin who is unfazed by this. As the ritual ends he sighs in relief for a bit then his eyes go wide. "What a large aura reserve..." This catches Ozpins attention.

"Who? How can you tell from here?" Ozpin raises an eyebrow.

"The Arc boy, his aura reserves are massive, I have lived a long time Ozpin I have mastered many things from combat to perception...there is no hiding from me," he lets Ozpin digest the information for a bit then continues, "You could say this is the next largest reserve I've seen other than my own Ozpin...and the boy is still young...with a bit of polish he will make a fine hunter." He smiled but it quickly faded, "We must act though, three to four years is not enough time to for a normal person but, I have faith in that boy, teach him well, at least all the basics, for the next year...I'll take over the following year...I still have to seek the rest out...this is not enough." He looks towards Ozpin who nods at him," If I could compare him with Reginald I would but, I was not nearly as skilled 280 years ago as now."

By the time everyone gathered towards the Relics, Bruno had pretty much found the most competent individuals will be of much help in the future. He sighted out eight individuals, higher than he expected but he was not complaining, the more the better. Though, in order for him to actually take them in, they needed to know the very basic knowledge which, convenient Bruno Ozpin's first year was all basic of the basic.

He smiled with joy as he watched the eight take on a Nevermore and DeathStalker, taking them down very efficiently. His smile dropped immediately after the fights were over.

"Ozpin, we have to get to them as soon as possible."

"Why?" He was fully alert.

"I sense two." Bruno gets on a jump pad.

"You don't mean." Ozpin gets interrupted

"Yes, now hurry! Time is a factor, they definitely cannot handle these foes." He signals him to get on the pad.

"No I'll ensure every other student is alright! Most should be back by now, you go ahead!" Ozpin hits the button as Bruno nods hurtling the immortal in the air.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

The ruins that the eight students had staged a battle of survival at echoed with the screams of a nevermore before officially being beheaded by a young huntress by the name of Ruby at the very tip of the cliff overlooking the ruins of a broken Colosseum enshrouded by mist which made it seem bottomless.

The word, "Wow." escapes Jaune Arc's lips as he watches the headless corpse of a giant nevermore falling down the cliff into the abyss. Black blood had covered the inner face of the cliff. Pyrrah, Nora and, Ren all nod at the sight. Ruby walked to the cliff edge and stared down at her companions. Yang, Weiss and Blake all looked exhausted.

Ruby jumped off the cliff to meet up with her friends. Yang was being really loud about how her sister had beheaded the nevermore. They had stepped out of the ruins to get back on track to complete their initiation when Blake stopped everyone.

"I sense something, something we do not want to mess with...Its coming in our direction!" She pulled out her weapon, Gambol Shroud and got into a combat stance. Everyone else followed, weapons drawn.

The edge of the forest on the way back to initiation seem to have gotten a whole lot darker. Then shortly after, two pairs of crimson red eyes peered out the forest.

"W-whats this feeling." Jaune muttered out loud. He was feeling a sense of dread and the feeling he should high-tail it out of there.

Everyone felt the same.

The eyes were joined with several more eyes, then shortly after, beowolves stepped out into the clearing.

"Why are those two the only red ones...and why are they SO much bigger than the others! Even the Alphas!" As sweat beaded down Yang's face. "We're in deep!"

The group contemplated on retreating when they realized they were surrounded on all sides. There was no way out.

Everyone was paralyzed with fear and they did not know why.

"We have to think of something! And Fast!" Ruby shouted with a hint of fear in her voice.

**Sky over Emerald Forest**

Bruno had to be quick, its only a matter of time before they meet the two horrid beings he sensed in the forest. As his decent lowered he reinforced his legs with aura and caught a branch. Using the forward momentum he had he began to make giant leaps, hopping from branch to branch on the canopy. At the speed he was going he was going to reach them within 10 minutes.

"Not fast enough." he picked up the pace.

**Back at the ruins**

The teens struggled to keep up with the movements of all the beowolves. The red ones just stood there watching the teens struggle. They were heavily on defensive side of the battle as both alpha beowolves and their lesser counter-parts attacked relentlessly.

The beowolves seem to be focused on Jaune. Everyone noticed and protected his blind sides. Then a beowolf rushed directly at Jaune which was trembling terribly. He forced his shield up to barely block a vicious claw lunge aimed for his own jugular, his poor footing made him stumble backwards towards Pyrrah behind him.

"Jaune!" Ruby yelled, "Look out!" As an alpha lunged with both claws fully extended.

Jaune had resigned himself to being killed on the spot. He sewed shut his eyes and awaited impact. The rest of the group looked away. He realized the attack never came. He opened his eyes to see the man that was introduced during the ceremony. He had both hands extended towards the claws, the claws were not making contact with his hands however.

"Giving up so soon Arc?" Bruno Joked, "How unbecoming of an Arc!" He said as he shot aura through his hands which caused the beowolf to shoot backwards slamming into a tree. He turned around and held out a hand.

"You all held well for five minutes." pulling up the grounded blonde putting a hand on his shoulder. "Now defend each other while I take care of big bad reds over there." pointing a thumb at the two growling red alphas.

Everyone screams with new moral.

The crowd of beowolves stand still as they study the new threat. Bruno unhooks his hilt with his left and flicks it slightly while pumping aura into it, causing a auric blade to appear.

"That's a highly advanced technique!" Pyrrah said aloud, "A highly taxing one if not done correctly."

"Half-correct Miss Nikos." as he brought the blade to the upper right then flourished it downward.

The motion had sent a razor sharp wind hurtling towards the two red alphas with several black alphas in the way. The red ones disappeared out of harms way while the black ones were not so fortunate. The wave cut through the black alphas from shoulder to lower torso. The two parts seem to slide off as black blood seemed to gush out of the two halves.

Bruno dodged low, to the point where his back was touching the ground, while dissipating his auric blade. The two red alpha beowolves struck where he used to be. Using his back as leverage he put his hands to his head and aimed both legs at both beowolves. The beowolves took the blow to the chest shooting them upward along with Bruno.

"You two are as I thought, fresh ones, unlike the red alphas I have fought back then." as he landed a couple yards from where the red alphas had hit the ground.

The red alphas got up with no visible damage. They howled in a low tone which alarmed Bruno. Bruno quickly pulled out a container of ice dust. The dust seem to mold to his will as he shot it towards the left red alpha beowolf. The dust traveled at an unreal speed towards the beowolf. It had no time to dodge as a jagged torrent pierced the red beowolf in several areas up and down. Black blood mixed in with the newly formed jagged ice spikes. It made a blood hurtling shriek before the light died from its eyes. A spike wall of ice keeping its corpse upright.

Weiss shuttered at his control of raw dust crystals, being fairly adept at dust control, she found his level equal to that of a person who has studied for years on end.

Bruno's fears were answered as a red ursa major appeared out of the darkness.

"Its huge!" Yang screamed as she turned around seeing as all but the red alpha beowolf and major ursa were the only remaining. The rest of the pack seemed to flee at the loss of one of the red alpha beowolves.

"Stay behind me!" Bruno warned the group. He was alarmed to see a fresh red ursa major, it was just plain too early. He had to get serious and end this fight.

He activated his blade once more while pulling out a red dust vial. His hands weaved the dust as it infused with his aura. The flame traveled up his arm in a spiral like fashion. As he was doing so the two powerful Grimm charged him.

He gripped his sword with two hands and charged right at the Grimm. He dodged to the left avoiding the claws of the beowolf. Then he caught the right claw of the major ursa with the broad end of his blade, shifting the blow upwards effectively parrying it. He released his grip with his right hand, faced it towards the ursa major who had its balance cut off from the parry. His eyes widened as the spiraling flames were released right onto the ursa major causing it to scream with a horrifying roar. He followed up touching his aura blade with his right hand putting the remaining flames into the sword. The red alpha wolf desperately attacks him as he dashes with great speed past the claw. The blade shreds through the beowolf as a whole. Shortly after, it is engulfed in flames leaving no trace.

The group sat there speechless at the display of power the veteran had showed.

"This is the difference between us and a war veteran?" Yang fell onto the grass, "We have a lot to learn."

"I told you I have." He didn't get to complete his sentence as a red humanoid Grimm had stabbed through him, both of them sailed into a large tree.

"BRUNO!" the group yelled.

"S-shit, I let my guard down, didn't expect one of you to be this close to civilization, cheeky bastard." The Grimm tried to pull away but realized it couldn't due to immortal holding its blade like hand with an iron grip, pain riddled Bruno's face.

It looked at him with hatred, it slowly opened its mouth revealing jagged razor sharp teeth. Bruno dropped his hilt and quickly grabbed its neck before it could take a chunk out of his neck. It shrieked in a shrill voice as it continually tried to lung at his neck, only his hand stopping it from tearing him apart.

The group looked on with terror as they saw Bruno holding back the jagged mouth.

"Ruby!" Bruno yelled. The girl was too terrified, "RUBY" he yelled with more authority.

Ruby snapped out of her feared state and shakily yelled, "Right here!"

He smiled calmly and told her something she probably could never do but she had to, he had no free arms nor could he concentrate on another weave, "Ruby! I want you to use that sniper rifle of yours and blow a hole right through this thing!"

"Are you kidding me I cant!" she screamed.

"No way! She can't do that, your in the way!" Yang yelled, "I'll just knock that thing away from!" She gets interrupted.

"No! If this thing gets loose it will go into shadows again, I need a guaranteed hit! Its got tough skin only a high velocity hit will piece this thing!" He says as the thing is continually getting closer to his neck. "I'll be fine! Trust me!"

"I-I'll do it!" as she dug her scythe into the ground aimed towards the two struggling.

"Ruby you can't! He'll die! No one can take that shell!" Yang was getting frustrated.

"Trust me!" Bruno yelled one more time, "You said you could trust me, or was it a lie?" His words pierced the brawler.

"Fine! Ruby take the shot." Yang looked away.

Jaune and the others could only look at what was going to happen.

Ruby removed the magazine from her chamber and unloaded the shell in the barrel. She quickly grabbed a single large shell that narrowed into very sharp point. She took aim at the humanoid Grimm, the reticle aiming at its upper torso.

After a few more grueling seconds Yang and the others watch as Ruby pulls the trigger. The bullet travels out the barrel at a high velocity, causing Ruby to dig into the ground as the sniper recoiled backward despite being lodged into the ground.

"Checkmate, bastard," As Bruno embraces for impact. The bullet shatters the humanoids upper torso, it shrieks. It continues to pass through Bruno leaving a clean hole at his torso before lodging itself in the third tree behind him.

Everyone shrieks as the Grimm falls over, the blade like limb removed from Bruno at this point. Bruno double checks to see if it was dead as he fell against the tree. Satisfied he looks over to the saddened and guilt struck Ruby and her group. He had a lot of explaining to do but, with the recent events that he just experienced, he is going to have to move up his plans. He just slides down the tree and waits for one of them to run over. His most of his wounds had already healed he felt as he reached the bottom of the tree.

Jaune, Yang and Pyrrah ran over to the veteran.

"He said he'd be fine!" Yang did not want her sister to feel responsible for a death.

"He can't be fine from that shot, you know that. He probably thought his death was better than the lives of all of us." Pyrrah had concluded, Yang denied it.

"Well, first check his pulse! He might still be alive!" Jaune was more worried about actually tending to the man if he was actually still alive, and time was a factor if he was.

"Two of you fail, one of you pass," Bruno opened both his eyes looking at the three, which had incredulous looks on them, "Hold your questions for later, I'll explain later. We need to get out of here, I need to inform your headmaster A.S.A.P." as he gets up to brush himself off.

"B-but," Jaune stutters, "You were just shot! Let alone stabbed! Where are the injuries!" He studied where the wounds should be. The bullet hole was gone, the spot where he had been stabbed was healing a whole lot slower and seemed to be leaving a scar.

"No time Jaune. Everyone lets go!" As he molded his cloths back together using dust.

Everyone concluded he was right, they needed to get out of this forest, something strange was going on. They were all just happy they were going to make it out of this alive.

On the way, things seem to have calmed down. Only the usual Grimm were encountered once in a while on the way back up to Beacon. Seeing as things calmed considerably Bruno decided to talk as they walked back.

"Seeing as the coast is pretty clear as of now, I am going to explain things." He didn't turn around but, he had a feeling everyone nodded in anticipation.

"I am sure you know by now that the monsters you fought were not 'normal' by your standards," he looked over his shoulder and nodded as the group was at his undivided attention then he continued, "Well, during the Great War those things were pretty much the next highest class of Grimm. They were only outclassed by what we consider S-class Grimm, which a few still exist even today. They sat along with the A class Grimm but, outclassed the usual A-Class, as what we would call special forces today. Mankind has wiped out this class entirely, at least we 'did' seeing as you saw three today. You've probably never seen the humanoid type Grimm either, we called them splinters. They are masters of stealth. When I am not utterly focused even they can get the jump on myself. They are classed SF-S class,sitting at the top of the special force type Grimm again, only outclassed by true S-Class." He scanned for any Grimm once again before continuing in a grim tone, "I know whats going on and I need your help when the time comes."

Before anyone could question him about how he was exactly alive he beat them to it.

"The reason I know all this is because I have fought in that war." He hoped that sufficed, it probably did not.

"That would make you over 300 years old!" Pyrrah, Weiss and Blake were in denial. While Jaune perked his brow up, Yang doing the same, Nora, Ren, and Ruby could not process the information.

He shrugged again and said it bluntly, "I am immortal, that does not mean I have been immortal my whole life, I attained it after we had sealed the Grimm. Its more of a curse in my own opinion but, at the same time I am glad because I can take revenge for the loved ones I have lost." his hands were in fists. He was about to continue on with his scroll beeped.

He looked at the name and answered immediately. A female voice could be heard through the scroll. Though, nothing could be understood.

"Its as I have feared," He turned around, "My contact has informed me that the seal has gotten substantially weak. The very seal Reginald Arc and his team sealed 280 years ago. Seeing as this matter is urgent she is making her way to Beacon to assist in training..." Inward he said, 'yea right, I just hope she doesn't cause too much of a ruckus, you'd think after many years she would wise up. Meh, who am I kidding, I still act like I did 280 years ago AND SHE COULD OF INFORMED ME THE DAY SHE LEFT VACUO!' he sighed and realized they were literally at Beacon's doorstep.

"Rest well," He sees the headmaster in the auditorium, "Go now, I'll inform him after the ceremony is over, looks like we were the only ones that encountered the red Grimm which is a good thing." He headed towards the office to wait on Ozpin.

**Auditorium**

Ozpin watched as he saw the eight individuals trickle in, handing their relic pieces to Professor Goodwitch, which in turn escorted them to their places. After a few more minutes he received the team list and begun to call out teams.

After several teams had been formed, the last being team CRDL being led by Cardin Winchester, he called the next group of four.

"Jaune Arc, Pyrrah Nikos, Lie Ren, Nora Valkyrie, you four have collected the white rook pieces, from this day forward you will work together as team JNPR, led by Jaune Arc!" Ozpin had a slight grin on his face.

"L-led by?" Jaune was in disbelief. His thoughts were interrupted by a strong punch by Pyrrah, which knocked him over.

The four walked off the stage while Ozpin immediately called the last four.

"And finally, Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, and Yang Xiao Long, you have collected the white knight pieces, from this day forward you will work together as team RWBY, led by Ruby Rose!" the headmaster stayed silent after announcing the last team, he knew Bruno would be waiting for him after the ceremony.

He immediately left the stage and headed for the office.

**Ozpin's Office**

Ozpin stepped through the door to find Bruno with crossed arms sitting on his guest chair waiting with his eyes closed.

"You know why I am here." Bruno didn't turn around, "and I know you don't want to go through with this, its been bugging you since I have appeared here. I know they are just children but, it is because they are still children that they must learn all they can. All we can do is prepare them."

Bruno had read Ozpin like a book.

"We have less time than we thought Ozpin. My colleague says two years minimum, three years if we are fortunate." Bruno's tone did not change, "She is on her way here too at that."

Ozpin couldn't help but chuckle as Bruno's shoulders sagged down a bit. He then walked over to the front of his desk and asked the question.

"Will they stay here at Beacon or are they going to be pulled immediately." looking at the immortal's searing eyes.

"I doubt that we will stay here for long, after they have been informed depending on my assistant, we may move to a sacred place. It should be more beneficial to them." He answered.

Ozpin merely sighed, "I guess...It can't be helped...Are you sure there is not anything I can help you all with? At all?"

"There are a lot of things you can do to help Ozpin. Do what you do, make the individuals here stronger so they may survive the incoming war that will take place, we know what to do, at least we hope we do, and don't worry their safety is well above our own, I'll try to keep them safe as much as I can." Bruno smacked his chest then held out his hand, "You can count on it Ozpin. I should probably get to the landing pad, she told me she was on her way from Vacuo, since a day ago."

"Who is this she by the way." Ozpin raised an eyebrow.

"Well...if I told you I was not the only immortal...would you believe me?" Bruno smiled lightly.

Ozpin nodded.

"Her name is Tir Wolf,...she is practically the polar opposite of me...don't expect the same attitude." As he waved the headmaster goodbye.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5** – The second

Tir saw the large academy as the dust plane had begun its decent towards the landing pads. Her white eyes scanned for a hooded man. He better had come to greet her, after all, they hadn't met up in person in a long while. She gave her self a once over, making sure she was looking her best. Her pink hair was long and wavy at the bottom, she was wearing a stylish light green combat dress, white high knee socks, boots that laced halfway up her calves and, combat gloves that followed a similar laced checkered pattern as her boots. A shotgun that was a little wider than usual was holstered on her back.

'Good to go' As the dust plane landed on the airstrip. The doors opened as she walked near them. She overheard the pilot say 'Welcome to Beacon, students and transfers please sign in at the front desk, visitors also have to check in with the front desk.'

"Pfft yea right," she mumbled walking closer to where she saw Bruno sitting down.

"Hello, earth to the biggest idiot sitting in front of me, an idiot who does not run up and happily greet a friend!" She stepped on his foot. Hard.

"YOWCH," Bruno woke up from his deep thoughts to pain and suffering as he saw a displeased immortal stepping on his foot with no remorse, "Come on! It hasn't even been a day and your already mad at me."

"I'm surprised you don't even know why idiot!" Tir smiled inwardly, 'Hasn't changed one bit, same lovable oaf of a man.'

"At least I am here!" Bruno put both hands in the air.

Tir's eyes twitched and she just smacked him upside the head.

"Ok ok, enough abuse!" Bruno gained some distance before muttering, "Hasn't changed at all."

"So, what you been up to Weaver." Tir instantly got into his personal space.

"Well, Barbarian...," Bruno enjoyed slight twitch she made at his nickname, "I've...ONLY BEEN DOING MY DUTY!"

"So you've found them right?" She looked around him seeing nobody other than lounging students, a few laughing at their antics, "You are probably checking out the women here instead! Pervert, pedo, freak."

Bruno face palmed, "No...thats something YOU would-. You know what no nevermind. We are going to the headmaster's office. He'll call the eight I've found to his office."

"Eight?!" She was surprised but decided to joke, "More than half better not be female."

Bruno face palmed himself because it was true out of pure coincidence, "Only two of the eight are male, Tir..."

She looked at Bruno and felt her eye twitch, "They better be promising, or I am going to have a little talk with you and about us."

"About wha? Girl, first your over thinking it, second of all what?" He was confused because he didn't think she thought about him that way. Specially with the way she treats him and her attitude.

"Oh, um nothing! Lets get going!" Tir pushed him from the back towards the school.

For once, Bruno thought her reaction was kind of cute. Plus, he learned something new despite being 300 plus. He forgot his real age a long time ago, "Ok stop pushing," He yanked her forward resting his hands on her shoulders, "This way!"

He gave her a light shove and walked forward walk along side her. As he neared the office he stopped but, before he could knock on the door. She just went and opened it.

"H-hey! Ever heard of knocking Tir!" His eyes twitched.

Ozpin looked up at the person who decided to intrude. Chuckling slightly at a fuming Bruno towards the intruder.

"I'm sure you've sneaked into this office Weaver." Tir mused.

"T-thats only because it was urgent and there was no time for formalities!" Bruno was raging.

Ozpin interrupted the two in their heated argument with a cough.

Tir looked over to the sound and dashed up to the desk, "Sup!"

Ozpin heard an audible face palm as the words escaped his mouth, "...Sup?"

"Tir Wolf at your service!" smiling brightly, "I hope this neanderthal did not cause too much trouble!" pointing to the now crimson eyed immortal, aura now leaking out of his body.

"Nice to meet you, I am the headmaster here...My name is Ozpin and don't worry too much about that Miss Tir, Bruno has actually saved eight of my students earlier today. He reported three special class Grimm.

At this Tir turned around with a look of anger.

"There were no details of that in the call earlier Weaver." she walked up to him, "Three? Three special class? You fought them alone? If those were hardened special class it wouldn't matter if you were immortal! You'd be dead!"

Bruno merely sighed, "I am not who I am 250 years ago Tir. Chill out! Besides it was three plus one special S class." With another hidden fact he received a punch to the gut, "Ow! Stop the abuse woman! I had to save them or they would of all died," He then waved his arms towards the window, "Then hope gone, Woosh! Shaw! Bye bye! I am heartless! I leave people I can save behind! Yea!" rolling his eyes.

She huffed and turned back to Ozpin, "Wea-, Dumb ass over here said you could call over the eight that he found promising? I'd like to have a look at them."

"Barbarian," Bruno immediately ducked a left hook towards his head, "Point proven."

**Cafeteria**

Team RWBY and JNPR was famished. Each team member had a mound of food. Ruby had a normal sized lunch but beside her an absurd about of cookies and an even more absurd amount of strawberries, Weiss's plate paled in comparison to the gluttons of both her team and JNPR. Nora's however were just simply. Insane.

Around halfway through their meals, the respective leaders of each team's scroll blinked.

Jaune and Ruby overlooked it and announced.

"Professor Ozpin wants us in his office after lunch!" As Ruby tore into her strawberries.

"Ditto." Addressing his team while tearing into his T-bone, his fifth one.

**Back at the office**

"I have informed them to come after their lunch period. Around thirty more minutes You may stretch your legs you two, I'm sure you don't want to stay in my office too long." Grinning at Bruno due to a pink haired menace pestering him.

"Ok, I'll see you in thirty Tir!" Bruno vanished.

"Damn! I can't catch him when hes like that." She turned around and bowed, "Right then I'll see you all in thirty!" muttering about where Bruno went as she was about to leave Ozpin stops her.

"One question Miss Tir." keeping the same grin.

"You can just call me Tir and, of course hit me with it." She walked back to the desk.

"How do you plan to stop the Grimm once the seals are broken." His grin faded.

She shifted into a serious tone, "Ever since we noticed these seals loosening I have been working diligently on a solution and in all honestly Professor. There is only one way, I haven't told Bruno this because of how he is but, the solution I have come to a conclusion with does not bode well."

"Does not bode well?! Will MY students be ok?" He stood up.

"Calm down, yes your students are there to merely help us get there. We are immortals but, that doesn't mean we are not bound to human limits. One human cannot fight thousands of Grimm, at least all day. Plus our immortality goes only so far, anything above A class can outright kill us if we are hit mortally. That includes every special class." She reassured him.

Ozpin sat back down and sighed. "I have a feeling it won't go well for you two specifically then."

She nodded, "Right, all I can say as of right now, either Bruno or I will possibly never return," she stops, "I don't like this outcome, either way is a loss for me. I don't want to see him literally run himself ragged every time he had lost someone back then. I ne-" She stops realizing shes saying too much.

Ozpin merely nods understanding. "Well, that is all I wanted to know Miss-," he stops, "Tir, now go explore the campus, the gardens are particularly beautiful." he smiled.

"I'll go check them out then!" She happily skipped towards the door as if the previous conversation was a thing of the past.

As she walked out of his office he sighed.

"They may be 300 or more but, they still have what makes us, us." He spoke to himself. He felt like he could trust those two.

**Thirty Minutes later**

Team RWBY and JNPR stand in front of Ozpin's office ready to knock on the door. They over hear a familiar voice clearly agitated by a female voice.

"Why did you ditch me earlier!" Tir was not pleased.

"I needed alone time Tir!" Bruno remained stoic.

Before Tir could finish there was a knock on the door.

"That's them." Bruno announced.

"You may come in." Ozpin announced while pressing a button.

Both teams sauntered in and stopped a few feet away from the three adults.

Yang and Jaune noticed the two had the same type of eyes.

Ozpin coughed clearing his throat, "You are here because these two have come specifically for you all," He pauses gauging their reactions, "I am sure you have been informed by Mr. Sieg here that your help would be required."

All of them nodded.

"Well, your help may very well be the difference between Mankind having a future...or not." Ozpin stepped forward, "These two will be your guides for the next two years, you will do as they say, go where needed and when the time comes assist them in their cause."

Bruno steps forward putting a hand on Ozpin's shoulder, "I know this is sudden children but, we do not have much time. I give or take a month in Vale before we head to where we will be training you at a sacred spot. Known to only us." Pointing at Tir, "By the way this menace behind me is Tir Wolf." He barely dodged a swat to the head.

"Shut up Weaver, Anyways, Nice to meet you all!" Tir waved enthusiastically.

Ruby spoke up first, "Hello! Names Ruby Rose, this is my sister Yang Xiao Long," pointing at Yang which waved.

Tir shot up to Yang, "Ooooo! I like your hair! Its beautiful!"

Yang grinned widely, "I try my best to keep it this way and anyone or thing that touches it will be annihilated..." her eyes turned red.

Tir's eyes narrowed at this but, quickly switched back to her upbeat mood.

Ruby continued, "This is Weiss Schnee, my partner," Weiss simply smiled and waved, "And lastly this is Blake Belladonna. Yang's partner before we combined to form RWBY."

Tir shook all their hands. Bruno just chuckled at her upbeat mood. Hopefully she didn't catch that.

Then Jaune spoke up, "Hello Tir, Names Jaune Arc, leader of JNPR, My teammates here are Pyrrah Nikos, Lie Ren, and Nora Valkyrie!"

Tir kept her usual demeanor and shook hands with all of them.

"Bruno was right, you all show lots of promise. Now lets make that potential into a reality within a year and a half!" In an almost evil tone, "It will be a long hard road children..."

Bruno coughed, "Well? Any questions from you all?"

Yang questioned, "So I am guessing the most revealing feature to your powers are your eyes...you guys have the same eyes."

"Half-true, also individual powers are different." Bruno explained.

"Yes, this idiot over here specializes in sensory, great-swords, his annoying ass regeneration on top of his immortality, and he is a Weaver. The last being, what I think hes most known for in my books." Tir smiled at Bruno's 'not amused' face.

Jaune asked, "Whats a Weaver?"

"Its easier if I show them." Bruno stepped up.

He stood still and brought his hand up, "Do you remember in the forest what I did with dust?"

They all nodded

"Well, that's one technique limited to raw elements but," He focused a little more, "I can do it with aura too." a red stream of aura weaved through his fingers. The threads seemed to dance and cross across them. "Dust in raw form is good and all...but when I add a little aura in the mix..." He pulled out a blue vial, some of the contents of the blue vial was pulled out of it mixing into the red threads, weaving through his left arm and fingers.

The group looked in aw as the complicated threads rapidly grew. He got into his stance that he normally uses for wielding his aura sword and an icy great-sword was conjured, "This is the result..."

"It has all the elements of ice," he smiled, "Also its light as a feather to me." He threw it upwards and caught it.

"That's why hes a Weaver, his imagination is his limit." Tir added

"The process is slow as you saw but, with a catalyst," he pointed to the hilt, "I can speed it up dramatically." He released the aura in the sword causing it to vanish in an icy vapor, "It can also be done in two separate processes as you saw in the forest."

Before Jaune got give out another question he was interrupted by Bruno.

"Seeing as we have an eager group of teens...Why don't we begin today?" He looked at Ozpin for approval.

Ozpin nodded in approval.

Bruno looked to Tir, " Tir be a good partner and train them," He looked at Jaune and gestured towards him, "This one is going to need to be drilled especially hard." He looked to the rest of the teens, " Trust me, you don't WANT to be in his shoes right now."

Jaune made a loud audible gulp.

Everyone else just cringed a bit and wished him the best of luck. Bruno walked out of the office with an arm over Jaune.

"That does not mean my training course is a cake walk." Tir had made a face that made the remaining members turn pale.

She walked closer to the teens and said, "Now then, first order of business is, Aura control. I assume you guys practiced just a little before leaving your respective schools? Correct?"

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Well, we are going to perfect your aura control by the time we leave Beacon," Tir began to have a faint, green visible outline, "I assume that most of you all activate your aura unconsciously during combat or, those of you that focus on aura for attacking only able to do spurts of sudden auraic techniques," She put out a palm, "Like a palm blast for example."

Tir nodded and was pleased with how attentive everyone was.

"Well, What I want you to do for today is...Look deep within yourselves and pull out your auras enough to be able to be faintly seen like mine. Then I want you to keep in that state as long as you can for the day! Sounds simple? Well, you'll quickly find out how hard it is." She smiled.

Ren stepped up, "You mean like this?" He closed his eyes and a magenta outline appeared.

"Yes! Exactly like that, now keep that going for a whole day. Bruno told me you had a certain degree of aura control. Now we are going to perfect that, same for everyone else." She nodded then placed a pencil of her own on Ozpin's desk, "Now Ren, pick up that pencil and try to grip it like you normally would."

Ren walked up to the desk and attempted to pick up the pencil with his right hand. He looked surprised when he tried to pick it up the pencil had shattered into two pieces with a loud audible noise.

"W-what?!" Ren yelped out in surprise.

"You are putting too much power Ren. This is the goal you must achieve for now. You all need to be able to output aura like Mr. Ren here and at the same time keep it in so much control that you can do normal tasks as if you were not using aura." She was flipping another pencil in her hand with her aura activated, "You are dismissed, feel free to watch Jaune and Bruno train while attempting to control your auras. Weaver has a different agenda for Jaune for now." She made her way towards the door, "I know I am watching this..." she smiled and left. The teens following after.

Ozpin sweat dropped a bit while sipping his coffee mug. He kind of wanted to watch too but he had duties to attend to. Duties that will subtly change teaching schedules geared more to war preperation.


	7. Chapter 6

**Author note: A little fragment of the past in the beginning. As always enjoy, forgive any inconsistencies (was a bit tired) and review ^^**

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><p><strong>Chapter 6 –<strong> A Bloody Ascension

It had been a almost a year after Bruno had disappeared from Vale. He wanted to find answers to why they were put on this forsaken world. Man has fought long and hard to survive its trials long enough.

'and what isn't better than teaming up with a couple rogue, money hungry hunters for a nearly a year!' He thought to himself sarcastically.

"The ruins are up ahead...These are unexplored ruins, if my informant is correct there should be real expensive relics inside." Said the brown-eyed, black haired man covered in a brown trench coat with a couple belts full of rounds strapped to it. His bladed rifle holstered on his back.

"Or a Grimm nest, Brent." The deep moss green eyed, pink haired woman added clearly being realistic.

"Come on Tir, be optimistic here, plus if anything goes wrong we have Bruno here! We've traveled enough together to pretty much be a solid team we'll be fine!" Said the last member of the team.

"Tir is right, we must be careful. We will not know until we get there," Bruno smiled at the optimistic girl with Saffron hair and azure eyes, her attire was the polar opposite of Tir's, she had light chest armor over her dress, round pauldrons resting on her shoulders, and long greaves that were pointed at the ankle. Her gladius was holstered on her left, with her kite shield resting on her back, "Kayla, Tir is just being realistic."

Bruno heard an audible "Hmph" from Tir just before he was called.

"Sieg, come look at this...I don't think the info was right." Brent called Bruno from his position all the way at the back, Brent being point.

Bruno ran to Brent and immediately saw their goal. He stood there speechless. The rest of the team now caught up and stood there confused. They had every right to be, they were not given the task of destroying a Grimm gate. Before Bruno could inform them the sky darkened putting everyone on full alert. Bruno was wide eyed, he knew they were literally in the middle no nowhere away from all the kingdoms but, he did not expect to run into another temple. He unsheathed his claymore and stood ready.

"We are in some deep trouble guys." He said in a low voice, "We are not prepared for THIS."

Despite Bruno's warning Brent made the call. A foolish one at that, "Its a ruins right? There should be relics inside. We have to press forward, I don't know about you guys but, if I don't get any money soon...We are going to be in trouble...Right Sis?" Looking right at Kayla.

Bruno yanked on his shoulder, "Brent, you don't know what I know about a place like this and I can guarantee you, what you are looking for is not in there!"

"I think Bruno is right about this one Brent!" Tir agreed with him for once.

"Y-Yea." Kayla agreed nervously as she stared at the sky getting ever more black.

"Brent we have to get out of here now!" Bruno pleaded.

Brent did not heed his commands and ran towards the temple beckoning the rest to follow.

"Fool!" He yelled out at Brent.

As Brent neared the temple he stopped in his tracks a couple feet away from the temple entrance covered with black, ominous symbols. Dozens of red soulless eyes peered out of the temple. Brent began to back pedal back towards the team. A red silhouette blurred towards the foolish rogue.

"Brent! NOOOOOOO!" Kayla cried out as she saw her brother get impaled through the chest by a splinter. Kayla pulled out her weapons and dashed towards Brent who was screaming in agony. The red Grimm pulled him closer shrieking in his face and then pulled its blade like arm out of Brent's chest. The fallen hunter fell to his knees. His blood sprayed from the splinter's swipe to clean off his blood all across the dirt in front of him.

Kayla screamed letting her emotions take a hold of her.

Kayla swung in a downward arc towards the Grimm. The wretched humanoid shrieked as it disappeared causing the warrior to miss entirely.

Kayla ran up to Brent's corpse and fell on her knees as she saw his once brown eyes glazed over and grey.

"Kayla! Grab his body and get out of there!" Tir yelled desperately as she saw dozens of major ursa step out of the temple.

Instead of following Tir's command she got up and yelled, "You killed him, you killed my brother you bastards! All we wanted was to make our family happy!" Her body emanated a brilliant blue aura, "No, you can all die here."

Bruno ran towards the enraged girl with Tir close behind him, "Kayla No!" As he tried to grab the enrage girl.

Kayla dashed forward, with her shield up over her chest. She bashed into one major ursa causing it to slide backwards. She quickly followed up with an upward strike, beheading it. The ursa surrounded her from all sides.

Bruno looked at the lifeless comrade as he heard the loud sounds of metal and claw clashing together from Kayla's enraged battle.

"What am I doing!?" Bruno yelled, "Why are we so powerless!" He had watched another die before him. He was not about to sit there and watch another die.

Tir felt the same. Everything happened so fast and she had never seen that type of Grimm before.

Tir was pulled from her thoughts as she saw Bruno charge to where Kayla was desperately fighting. Bruno stabbed the back of an major ursa, between the armor plating. It shrieked and writhed in pain causing Bruno's claymore to snap all the way up to the hilt.

"Damn it," He cursed under his breath. He calmed down and summoned his ancient great-sword in his right hand. He did not throw away his hilt as he began to thread his aura into the hilt. The hilt shuddered under his aura and began to crack. He knew he was not exactly ready to use this technique but, it was now or never. The aura shattered the hilt but was replaced with an auric blade resembling his destroyed claymore.

Before he realized a major ursa swinging its left claw at him it was too late. He was however saved by Tir who had blocked it with her glaive. She slid from the sheer force of the ursa's claw stopping at Bruno's chest.

"Thank you," Bruno merely muttered as he declawed the ursa with his right sword, "I am not losing another," He lunged past Tir and cut the ursa in half in and outwards scissor motion of his blades.

Tir caught a glimpse of his face and was puzzled by his eyes, they had turned from a crimson to a white. He had never done that before even after he had summoned his great-sword, which she assumed was part of his semblance along with his high regenerative ability. His aura was red too.

She had no time to think however as the ursa continued to pour out.

Tir charged in rapidly slashing and stabbing multiple ursa. She jumped upwards over the ursa, dodging a claw strike. She activated the vial embedded in her glaive and swung down towards the huge group ursa below her. Ice in the same shape as her jagged bladed glaive showered down stabbing into many ursa, freezing them inside out. She then accelerated her fall using aura and slammed down into the middle of the frozen ursa emitting a shockwave shattering the bodies creating literal Grimm shrapnel that pierced many more ursa.

Bruno was attacking relentlessly towards Kayla, he was not stopping. He seemed to sword dance as his two large blades sliced into each ursa like butter. He dodged as much as he needed to, not wasting much energy and returned with an equally brutal counter. His red shirt was now stained with black blood as he cut into more ursa.

Kayla was in bad shape, her armor was dented and one of her greaves was shattered but she ignored everything. All she could think about was to kill and find that red humanoid wretch. She saw a claw come rushing towards her. She pulled her shield up to block. The shield shattered after being used to block and redirect many large blows. The other claw slammed into her chest shattering it. Her eyes dilated losing all focus as she screamed in agony. The force of the ursa made her launch backwards.

Bruno's senses were screaming as he heard his teammate scream in agony. As he slashed his way past the last ursa between Kayla and himself he saw her flying. Blood sailed through the air from her shattered chest plate. Seeing her ragged body fly through the air filled him with uncontrollable rage. He screamed as he pulled all his aura dangerously into his swords and jutted out in a scissor motion creating two large auric waves that sliced through the endless ursa continuing towards the temple. The large waves slammed into the temple, it cut half way into the temple hitting the support beams causing it to tremble and collapse. The force caused dirt to kick up in the air.

"Kayla!" Bruno struggled to scream as his swords faded away. Despite the pain and agony from using everything he had in the last attack. He ran towards the direction she flew.

His fear was confirmed when he saw her. She had been brutally impaled through her chest armor, blood pooled around her. He balled his hands into fists and cursed openly.

After clearing up the stragglers Tir had found Bruno barely standing beside a lifeless body on the ground. Her heart sank as she got closer, it was Kayla. She felt rage, helplessness and sorrow causing her to scream towards the sky.

Then she began to black out. Voices rushed her head. The same voices from before the war was just about over. They kept repeating, _"Cursed one, doomed to walk forever."_ Just before passing out, she saw Bruno's worried face in front of her before blacking out.

* * *

><p><strong>Present<strong>

Bruno and Jaune had stepped into one of the unused sparring arenas. Bruno had a neutral tone as he had begun to tell the blonde his training regimen. After a bit of a grill session of course...

"Okay, so there is no use in hiding it Arc. You currently don't have what it takes to be in this school specifically...I suspect other means of acceptance." He watched as the boy trembled.

"B-But!" Jaune tries to make up an excuse.

"No Buts Arc! As you are, you will get yourself killed and possibly, even one of your own comrades!" Bruno knew this too well. He had seen it too many times.

Jaune merely slumped his shoulders in depression.

"But Arc, think about it, I chose you for a reason. I would not allow you to part take in such a large task if you did not have it takes." Despite Tir's vagueness about the whole ordeal he decided to trust her and let her handle the details, he was better at sensory anyway. He continued, "I hope you learn quick Arc, I am not going to go easy on you." He smiled

Jaune perked up and had a determined look in his eye.

"Okay, first things first, A little test! Draw your weapon and give me your best Arc." Bruno ordered.

Jaune drew Crocea Mors but before he initiated in attacking he was stopped.

"Really Arc, you have no pride in your weapon do you," Bruno knew the boy had confidence issues but, to have no confidence in his own weapon. He shook his head but, he had anticipated this. He wanted to rile the boy up.

"Of course I have no confidence! My weapon is not nearly as cool as the others. It can only merely convert into a shield! Its a relic of the past, It was literally handed to me as a hand me down by my father. My sisters were all given better treatment and were allowed to make their own weapons! My father never allowed me me to forge my own, he said that sword is all I ever needed. All he said to me was to forge my own bloody path with this sword!" Jaune trembled in anger, "I might as well be the black sheep of the family because I was never allowed to train with my sisters. Look where I am now, in a school way over my league with a weapon I have no confidence in using. The only confidence I have in this weapon is that it was used by my great, great grandfather during the Great War that YOU fought in." Jaune was about to continue but he gets interrupted again.

"You are wrong there Jaune. Your father had all the confidence in you boy. You are just too young to see it. Yes I fought in that bloody war Jaune. I fought along side your great, great grandfather, Reginald Arc." He paused allowing him a moment to lash back at him.

"That!"

"Reginald started with nothing too." Bruno interjected.

"What?" Jaune uttered in disbelief.

"He started with absolutely nothing Jaune just like you," He walked over to the boy putting his hands on his shoulders, "He didn't even have that sword until roughly the last half of the war! He literally had nothing. You know what he did? He trained, he persevered and I watched it ever since we were young boys! A little younger than yourself as of today. He was never the best but, instead he became a man you could count on, thick and thin." He pulled his hands from his shoulders letting his words it sink in, "Now are you going to be a man that will have worked for nothing due to his petty excuses or are you going to be a man that everyone can count on?" He stepped back smiling.

Jaune remained completely still deep in thought. He stared at his sheathed weapon then on past Bruno.

"Now, once again draw your weapon and come as a warrior!" Bruno yelled taking up a stance.

Jaune felt the need to pour is aura into his sword like it was commanding him to do it. He drew Crocea Mors again this time the shield had a solid line of aura around its perimeters and his sword seeped out aura like a smooth flame. Then he felt like he was losing control of himself. All he could feel was an incredible amount of blood lust.

"Looks like its way too early." Bruno's eyes narrowed as Jaune lunged towards him.

Jaune flourished his weapon with an animal like grace. It was as if the sword had a mind of its own. Bruno dodged and parried each strike with aura reinforced hands. Despite the clean parries, tiny cuts began to form on his hands. The two seemed to dance across the stage in a violent, yet beautiful dance.

Bruno dodged a curved vertical swing coming from the left. For a moment Bruno forgot about the test and threw a right haymaker towards Jaune's head. Jaune buckles down instantly pulling up his shield to redirect the impact. Bruno's aura enforced punch slides off the now thick aura enhanced shield. Bruno smile grew as Jaune followed up with a shield bash at his exposed body. Bruno dodged backwards a few feet while his grin remained. Despite the boy losing all control Bruno ironically found joy. He could do without the cuts on his hands though.

Bruno knew it would not be long until Jaune would run out of aura due to how inefficient he was using it. He looked at the berserk knight in front of him and his assumption was coming to fruition.

Jaune began to pant heavily. He slowly lost his grip on his sword, it eventually fell to the ground. Jaune had begun to fall over only to be caught by Bruno.

"Good days work Arc, now we gotta work on that control, Reginald's swords composition is unique after all. We can't have you losing control in battle now do we?" Bruno says to the boy now passing out. Bruno's smile diminishes as he stares where eight intruders eavesdropping since the beginning, "Tir no need to hide I can sense all of you especially our students with their auras, some are even in overdrive."

"Well done Weaver!" Tir says sarcastically as she popped in front of Bruno.

Bruno mockingly pats her on the head as he passes by her.

"There must be more to this sword than meets the eye!" Ruby attempts to pick it up but is stopped by Bruno.

"Do NOT touch that sword, there is a reason why his father only gave him that sword and him alone, I have a gut feeling that due to his lack of training, that sword is out of control since he activated it prematurely." In a tone that caused Ruby to shrink back. The sword seemed to tremble slightly, "I'll pick it up. My regeneration should cancel a good amount of the effects. To any that it deems not worthy anyway."

With Jaune hanging over his shoulder he bent down and picked up the sword. As soon as he gripped the hilt a rapid series of cuts littered Bruno's right arm shredding the sleeves in the process, causing him to shut one eye in pain. Blood trickled out of the many cuts and seemed to not regenerate nearly as quickly. "See? Not too bad for me right?" in a pained voice. He quickly sheathed the weapon into Jaune's shield while hitting the collapse mechanism causing it to slide off his arm and onto the floor. The trembling ceased now that it was sheathed.

"Now its perfectly harmless. Ren would you please carry that?" Bruno made towards the exit.

"Why did you touch it idiot! You know that sword is made of an S-class Grimm's material you said so yourself-" Bruno cut off Tir's complaints.

"If the team members of this boy would please redirect me to your dorm...I think this boy needs a bit of rest." Bruno clearly ignored Tir, "Oh and good luck on aura control children, this boy will be joining you along with my extra sessions tomorrow." He shut the door leaving Tir and team RWBY behind.

"He clearly likes to mess with you. Still whats up with that sword?" Yang stating the obvious.

"Miss Long, and the rest of you...are dismissed for the day meet us back HERE in the morning." She stormed off to catch Bruno muttering about how reckless he is.

Team RWBY laughed in unison.

"I didn't know Jaune's past was like that. I still want to know how that sword was forged. Tir even said a S-Class Grimm was involved!" A hyperactive Ruby was nearly drooling at the possibilities.

"Yea vomit boy had some secrets and he was either really good at hiding it, or we are just bad." Yang agreed.

"Hes still a dunce. I don't see what he sees in that boy." The heiress put her two cents in.

"Either way, it seems he has a lot to learn. I feel Bruno hasn't even begun yet." Blake teased.

"I wanted to cheer for him loudly!" Ruby said

"Bruno was only simply using a brawler stance, there's no way Jaune could of won. Plus the out of control part." Yang said in a matter of fact tone.

Ruby pouted.

"Okay it makes me think you have something for the guy Rubes." Yang decided to have a little fun.

"No way!" Ruby looked the other way, "Hes just my first friend okay?!" She denied

"Whatever you say Ruby," Yang was enjoying Ruby's attempts at denial but she changed the subject, "This aura control thing is hard...I feel like I am on the empty side of a fuel tank."

"Yea time to hit the beds." Ruby stretched.

Then they realized something important and yelled out in unison.

"WE HAVEN'T SET UP OUR ROOM YET!"

The four teens rushed out in a whirlwind of fury causing Professor Goodwitch and Ozpin who were taking a walk on the school grounds to nearly fall over.


	8. Chapter 7 part 1

**Chapter 7** – The second day

**Team JNPR**

Jaune bolted up on his bed. The last thing he remembered was training with Bruno when his vision had gotten blurry to the point everything went black. He looked over to his left and saw Ren sleeping quietly with Nora to Ren's far right on the furthest bed. He looked to his right and saw Pyrrah sleeping with her back facing him. He then looked at his hands and gripped them tightly. He tried so hard to recall what happened yesterday.

He saw Crocea Mors propped against the side of his dresser. He reached over and pulled it into his lap. For the first time he felt something within the sword itself, something almost sinister. He suddenly recalled one last thing hes father had said.

" _Boy there will come a time where you are needed, when that time comes this sword will be by your side as it was for myself. The one thing I ask of you is to only, and only call upon this sword's true power when you are absolutely ready, and Don't forget you are still an Arc no matter how you think I treat you. You will know what I mean when you find your own path." _

He gripped Crocea Mors and quietly said to himself, almost to the sword itself, ' I feel unworthy of wielding you now, funny how I used to hold you with no regard. I guess I was wrong huh.'

He looked over to his dresser and noticed a note. He opened it and it read.

"_Meet me when as soon as you wake up out by the large tree outside the ballroom. I'll explain the rest of the regimen there."_

He read the bottom line which said Bruno Sieg along with a P.S _"I am guessing you have questions about that sword, I'll explain in due time."_

He got up and got dressed in a new hoodie and jeans, he pulled on his light battle armor and headed out, being careful not to disturb his sleeping team members.

As he stepped outside he pulled up his scroll, the time read 3:30 a.m in the morning. Surely Bruno would not be up at this hour but he decided to head over to the destination because knowing the veteran. He would be there waiting for him regardless.

As he stepped outside the male's dorm room he noticed that it was a very foggy morning. The sun had not risen. The walkways were covered in mist. The air was thick with a grassy aroma as he passed the many fountains within the middle of the school. Many hall ways twisted and turned making the place nearly a maze. If it weren't for his tactical mind he would would of gotten lost no matter how many times he had passed through. He had only gotten lost in areas he was not familiar with.

Passing a large garden covered with many different flowers he was nearing his destination. It was now 3:45 a.m and due to the heavy fog he nearly missed the veterans barely visible silhouette standing under the large cedar tree overlooking the clear sky with the forests below.

He saw Bruno turn around and greet him.

"Morning Jaune, how are you feeling today?" Bruno greeted.

"I feel like I have gotten a weight off my shoulders." Jaune answered.

"Good! Lack of self-esteem can endanger everyone, take that to heart Jaune Arc," Bruno spun back around and seemed to stare into the foggy cloud separating the outline of the forest and sky, "I have called you here this morning to finish up the remainder of the regimen due losing control yesterday, you are not to use that sword until I deem you ready." He didn't turn around.

Jaune stood in silence a number of emotions going through him but decided to not prod.

"You are going to follow a similar pattern to Tir's on-going lesson, after my lessons of course. You will during and after our sessions constantly have your aura activated, as low as you can get it." He spun back around, "Though that may be a little hard for you Arc, your aura reserves are almost as large as my own." pointing at his chest, "That is why we are going to train you in combat and no not swordsmanship, unarmed combat."

Bruno walked over to a more lit area with Jaune in tow.

"But I"

"Have zero experience in the martial arts? Would rather skip to swordsmanship? Wrong! You are going to learn hand to hand from me, because there will be times where you do not have your weapon on you Arc. Plus the way my swordsmanship works is combined with Martial Arts anyway." Bruno pumped his fists together, "We are starting now. Afterwards you are to attend Tir's meeting at 7:00 a.m, aura activated and all." He grinned evilly, "Now attempt to release and control your aura."

Jaune closed his eyes and searched within himself.

Bruno watched as the boy had begun to release aura yet it was far from controlled, "Control it Arc or I will have to carry you to your dorm again. All you have to do is calm down and relax your mind. It wont help you to be wasting energy uselessly with a chaotic mind."

Jaune slowed his breathing considerably and cleared his mind.

Bruno nodded, "Yea thats a little better. Now to begin, follow my stance. You may recognize this one!"

He took up Yang's stance. "This is of the first I've learned actually. Not my strongest one...but its a versatile art."

Jaune took up the stance. Surprisingly there were no faults in the stance the veteran noticed. Though he waved it off as merely a perfect copy, during techniques he would probably get sloppy.

"Good, now lets begin."

* * *

><p>After a few techniques Bruno noticed something, something that would accelerate his training considerably, If he knew about it himself that is. The boy was doing it sub-consciously, yesterdays events must of done something, or now that the boy was more confident in his self. It begun to surface whether he knew it or not.<p>

"Jaune, stop." He stood in front of him, "Do you have any idea what your semblance is?"

Jaune shook his head side to side.

"Well, you are going to find out for yourself, or I am going to knock you out." Bruno grinned evilly.

Bruno switched to a natural stance, "Use those techniques I just taught you Arc. I am going to use totally different ones."

Bruno gives Jaune no time to protest. Bruno throws a basic straight, Jaune ducks out of the way but Bruno weaves into him hitting him with a palm strike causing the blonde to skid backwards leaving obvious trail marks. It made the Vet chuckle, as that palm strike was designed to actually knock out people well above the boy's level.

"Come, I'll give you a shot," Bruno flicked his finger beckoning the knight.

Jaune dashes forward, eyes analyzing the veteran's stance. Jaune's eyes narrow as he anticipates Bruno's right hay-maker. He weaved low under the hay-maker. Throwing a palm strike of his own. Bruno slid back a bit.

"I never taught you that Arc...Do you see where I am getting at?" Bruno grinned.

It hit Jaune like a ton of bricks. His semblance had the ability to absorb techniques upon experiencing them once, the more he was exposed the better he would get.

Though it felt incomplete, his palm strike was not nearly as powerful in both physical and aura enhanced power. The physical aspect he could probably improve, but unless he learned the technique in detail he would not know how much or how little aura he would need to put in to make it just right.

"Now, that is one part of your semblance," Bruno paused, "Did I ever explain to you what semblances are exactly?"

Jaune shook his head no again.

"Well, in text book definition, it is something we gain as we gain more aura control to a certain point." The vet said half-assed, "But of course, according to that definition hunters would of gained and or mastered their semblances around the time they mastered their aura control. This is where its far from the truth Arc. I've known complete aura masters and still only had fundamental semblances. Out of your group who are far from masters of aura control, I have witnessed and sensed most if not all of them have their semblances. Whether they know it or not." He smiled.

"So what are they and how are they gained?" Jaune did not want to beat around the bush.

"It is the simplest most fundamental thing my boy." Bruno put on finger up in the air, " Semblances are a part of us," He placed his finger at his heart, "They are almost like the outward projections or manifestations of our ideals. How does one attain that? Simple, the more you know about your own soul, the more you can project." He placed one hand on Jaunes shoulder, " I sense that despite your past you accept your self now. Now that you are broken from that chain, you realize your soul wants to learn, to learn and analyze anything, your soul craves it Jaune."

"That makes sense!" Jaune surprisingly did not feel confused.

Bruno stepped back into his prior position, "This is why you were possibly made leader of Team JNPR Jaune Arc, Ozpin saw it in you before you saw it yourself. Keep doing what your doing and now that you know exactly what Semblances are, I want you to actively search your own soul and be brutally honest about yourself. Plus Semblances are unique to each person, some may have similar fundamental ones, but once they search deeper it is substantially different! The only weird thing about you is you know a little more about your semblance than most here. I know you know your very fundamental parts of your semblance, I've seen it. You've used it sub-consciously Jaune. "

Jaune did not even need to think. It seemed to come out on its own, "Its defensive, I can take punishment more than others would think otherwise."

Bruno grinned and resumed his stance, "Come, I'll teach you as much as I can before we have to go."

* * *

><p><strong>7:00 a.m Sparring room<strong>

Team JNPR minus the J and RWBY were waiting along side an unhappy Tir.

"Where is WEAVER!" She tapped her foot, "He said he would finish up the extra lessons before the meeting!"

The teens only smiled politely.

Suddenly the door opened.

At the door a late Arc and a late immortal.

"YOUR LATE!" Tir growled

"Chill! We had a bit too much fun." Bruno lightly hit a glowing Jaune in the back, "He learns fast."

"Well, if you would get down here we can continue finally." Tir's anger slowly dissipated.

Bruno and Jaune walked down the stairs to join up with the rest of the crew.

"Ahem, now that we are all here. Today we will further increase our aura control so far you have only been keeping it to a bare minimum! Thats fine and all but just doing that will not help you in a real combat situation! So what we will do every other day is sparring!" She smiled at the excited looks on several of the teens faces, "Now choose your partner for the day."

Bruno butted in, "I want Jaune to spar with Yang."

"Wha-What?" Jaune paled a bit.

"Vomit boy?" Yang suppressed the urge to berate the blonde.

"Yes, he needs to spar with someone who has less experience than I with mixed martial arts and kung fu. I can't go full force, I would knock him out you know." Bruno grinned, "Arc your not allowed to use your weapon until you can control your aura. Never. Remember that alright?"

Jaune stood speechless.

Tir smiled, "Thats one pair! Next up!"

"Hey!" Yang tried to protest but Tir totally ignored her.

After a few minutes all the pairs were chosen. The order was from first bout to last being, Yang and Jaune, Pyrrah and Ruby, Ren and Weiss, Blake and Nora.

"As you are sparring you don't need to constantly activate your auras until later this afternoon," Tir notices Jaune's aura and responds, "Jaune Arc-," She gets interrupted by Bruno.

"My orders Tir." she nods not questioning him.

"First pair up!" Tir beckons

A bored Yang and a reluctant Jaune step down. They make their way to the two teachers in the middle of the sparring ring.

"Don't be like that Jaune! Recall the short lesson we had, you've certainly learned enough." Bruno reassured.

Jaune simply nodded

"I am going to make this fast Vomit Boy...I am not in the mood for play." Yang smashed her fists together.

Bruno walked off the arena while Tir stated the rules.

"Fight hard using your hard attained skills, I will judge when one is not fit to fight!" She whistles, "Begin!" Tir jumps back.

Yang and Jaune got into their stances. Yang was thrown off at Jaunes stance, the stance was similar to her own but, she doubted he knew what he was doing so she rushed in at full strength.

Jaune stayed calmed as he saw the fiery blonde rush. Yang threw a right haymaker designed to wipe out her fellow blonde in an instant or, so she thought. Jaune weaved under the haymaker and countered with a backhand aimed for her right temple. She had no time to dodge as the back of his right hand made contact. It was reinforced with aura so it made her skid a bit.

Luckily she activated her aura just before contact. Still, she felt the hit and it actually made her excited, "Bruno was not kidding when you are a fast learner." She reset her stance, "Here I come..."

"How much did you exactly teach Arc." Tir's eyes narrowed as she saw the knight holding is own against the fiery brawler. He was dodging, parrying, and providing his own counters.

"I don't know Tir, I think its honestly the boys semblance. His ability to pick up on new things and put them into practice is honestly terrifying. He absorbs everything like a sponge." He tried sound genuinely surprised 'Though it IS limited to skills attainable by everyone...There's also the physical aspect...' He watched as Jaune was using mostly aura to augment his forms and stances. He recalled Jaune attempting to copy his weave and failed miserably. He then continued, "With this spar, I give or take he'll know most of Miss Long's move set." He was right too because he was immediately seeing moves he never taught the boy.

Jaune dodged a series of straight punches and ducked under a round house dangerously aimed for his head. Yang didn't snap back her roundhouse kick as she lowered while spinning into a sweep kick causing Jaune to jump.

"Mistake Jaune..." Bruno muttered silently.

Yang smiled, she had him where she wanted him. She pushed with all her might upwards aiming an uppercut at the helpless blonde. Jaunes eyes widen and instinctively he crossed his arms into a block right before her fist made contact with his face. Yang yelled with all her might as she felt contact. She expected Jaune to fly even higher but, she was surprised to see him flying away from her. He had angled his block causing him to be redirected away from harm.

He skidded the ground to a stop. His left arm dropped like a lead weight, causing him to wince in pain. He breathed in slowly and let his aura heal some of the damage she had caused.

"Wow, that's a nifty aura you have there Vomit Boy." Yang reset her position again, "You aren't the aggressive-" She was cut off by Jaune.

Jaune had healed his arm to working condition and immediately dashed with aura reinforced legs.

Yang attempted to use his momentum against Jaune. She waited until he was nearly within her strike zone and threw a straight at Jaune. Jaune had anticipated her move and weaved into her. He landed a punch square in the middle torso. She winced a bit avoiding the uppercut aimed at her chin. She backed up to gain some room when Jaune followed her.

"Can't fight properly if I am this close?" Jaune smirked a bit.

"If you want to in-fight with me Vomit Boy I'll happily oblige." She pressed forward.

Both traded blows. Jaune hit her square on her middle torso as Yang socked him in his right rib. Both landed a haymaker at each others heads. Jaune and Yang both skidded backwards equally in pain but ignored the pain and shot forward again.

"Not many can go toe to toe with my sister...What did the veteran teach him?" Ruby sat in one of the student seats dumbfounded. She knew he couldn't fight but he didn't expect him to go toe to toe with her sister. She knew for a fact yesterday he was never properly trained.

"This is why I unlocked his aura Ruby, I had a feeling when I first met him that he was born to be a huntsman, just like many of his predecessors. I know my fair share of history and the Arc name is very prominent throughout history." Pyrrah was smiling, "Though, I think his semblance has something to do with how he is fairing." She watched the blonde knight tank a haymaker and bull rushing with his own, causing Yang dodge out of the way.

At this point Yang is thrown completely off. She could not down this knight and it was starting to annoy her. No single person has ever held this long against her. The last person she expected to be able to spar with her evenly was the person directly in front of her. She looked at her opponent and he had no visual signs of tiring out. He had taken the brunt of her attacks and parried her devastating punches. He also seemed to be learning as the fight dragged on at an alarming rate. Whats worse was he wasn't even using his main weapon. He would be a bulwark with that shield and she knew it. She had taken heavy damage surprisingly from the knight too. She activated her semblance causing her eyes to turn red and her blonde hair burned a searing gold.

Though, this was not true, Jaune on the inside was exhausted but he refused to show it. Each and everyone one of Yang's strikes were equal to getting hit by a truck. If it weren't for his defensive semblance he would be on the floor.

"This will decide the victor Tir be ready." Bruno's eyes trained on both fighters.

Jaune dug deep within his soul, he needed more for what he was going to do. His inner body screamed as the aura output increased, his eyes began to ooze out white aura as he took a different stance.

"Smart move Arc," Bruno smiled.

"Again, how much did you teach him! He practically enhanced his vision and reaction time! Its a bit crudely done but, the only person I expect this from is from Lie Ren!" Tir said in a low voice with a hint of surprise.

"Well...All I can say is I never taught him that Tir..." Bruno grinned, "Heck, maybe I can teach him swordsmanship fairly soon at this rate though."

Tir cringed at the thought of another having his techniques. Bruno's swordsmanship was unique. After they went their separate ways and met once again twenty-five years later...his swordsmanship skyrocketed from time they had lost their two friends.

Jaune awaited the fiery red-eyed Yang to lunge at him.

Yang lunged with fire streaking behind her path. She cocked her right hand back, aiming for Jaune's face. She was going to cloths line right through him. Jaune's auraic eyes narrowed, he had anticipated it. He brought his right hand up to meet her punch. He side stepped to the left at the same time. Using her momentum as he parried her punch he laid a well placed knee kick, fully enhanced with aura, into Yang's torso. He snapped his foot back and followed up with a round house to her upper torso putting her on her back. Seeing Yang on the ground groaning, he toned down his aura back to normal levels. Fatigue was slowly setting in however.

"Halt! Match over! Winner is Jaune Arc!" Tir exclaimed.

Bruno walked up to the knight, "See? What I tell ya Jaune?" 'And to enhance your eyes was a very smart move Arc' He thought to himself, 'Though a little unrefined with the amount of aura you wasted doing it.'

"She's as much as monster could get Bruno! I thought I nearly bought it back there when I took that haymaker!" Jaune nearly fell over only to be caught by the veteran. His aura was looking faint.

"You can drop it for now Jaune. You are now in the red. Seems Miss Xiao Long's attacks are taking their tole on you finally.

Indeed, Jaune's aura bar on the projection had gone from yellow to red by the time he had relaxed after taking Yang into the red zone.

You barely won that match but good fight none the less." Bruno laughed as he heard the boy dropped his concentration on maintaining his aura in a heartbeat. "I want you to resume when you have half of that bar though."

The boy groaned in protest.

"Ugh, my body hurts! Jaune chill out on the aura kicks will ya. I can't even stand right now." Yang struggled to get up. Her aura reserves were real low.

"Next up!" She waved off the previous fighters being dragged back over to the bleachers by Bruno and Ruby.

* * *

><p>Pyrrah and Ruby got onto the stage.<p>

"May we have a great match Ruby." Pyrrah smiled unsheathing Milo and Akouo.

"Give me all you got." Ruby mechashifted Crescent Rose.

"Ready!" Tir whistled, "Begin!"

Ruby was the first to react. She swung her scythe vertically towards the amazon. Pyrrah leaped backwards out of the way. She knew she could not take Ruby's weapon directly. She turned Milo into a Javalin and rushed forward, Ruby counter acted accelerating her scythe with a dust bullet causing the curved edge to rush towards Pyrrah's head.

Pyrrah pointed her shield towards the oncoming scythe. She discretely used her semblance to direct the attack as much as she could to not take the full blow. It collided with her shield. She redirected the force upwards allowing her full access to the vulnerable Ruby.

Pyrrah swung Milo at Ruby aimed towards her waist. It had made contact causing the crimson girl to fly backwards a bit, Pyrrah was not finished as she lunged forward with Milo placed on the top of her shield, pulling the trigger as she did so causing the spear head to extend. Ruby had recovered a bit by then and barely parried the stab.

"Ruby is at a disadvantage against Miss Nikos," Bruno analyzed the battle, "Though, I wouldn't count her out."

"Yes it could still go either way." Tir agreed.

Ruby activated her semblance and began to speed around the amazon. Too fast for Pyrrah to see.

Pyrrah closed her eyes and listened closely.

Ruby dashed at full speed at the amazon. She swung in a wide arc. Pyrrah opened her eyes and leaped upwards and away high in the air. Ruby handled her scythe as if were light as a feather and mechashifted it into a sniper rifle. She aimed towards the amazon and fired five dust rounds. Pyrrah's eyes widened and blocked nearly all the shells each of them actually giving her more air time, the last one nicked her in the shoulder causing her to spin. Pain filled her mind but she allowed herself to spin and threw her shield at the scythe wielder and quickly mechashifting Milo into a rifle. She fired a couple of shots to where she thought Ruby was going to dodge.

Ruby leaped backwards dodging the shield only to be hit with a couple rifle rounds. Searing pain engulfed her arms as she had been hit specifically in the arms.

"Miss Nikos is a smart girl," Tir commented.

"Yes, I fear this will not end well for Ruby." Bruno sighed.

Bruno was right, due to the hits she suffered she had trouble wielding her scythe. Pyrrah did not relent as she retrieved Akouo and dashed towards her at full speed. Ruby cleaves her scythe upwards, Pyrrah dodged going into the strike, Ruby reversed her scythe before the amazon could regain momentum and pulled the trigger causing the scythe to come down like a guillotine. Pyrrah used her semblance once more, the scythe's path slanted missing her completely. She shifted Milo back into a javelin and swung at Ruby's neck only to stop just before the blow.

"Match over! Winner Pyrrah Nikos!" Tir yelled out.

"Not bad both of you, though the aura control could be worked on." Bruno had gone full critic mode, "Ruby your swings are too wide, it may work on some of the creatures of Grimm but, against humans specifically they are easily read." Ruby nodded disappointingly, "But hey you got a good hit in! I'm pretty sure that's a feat seeing as Miss Nikos is a four running champ!" She cheered up considerably. She walked back up to Jaune and Yang's spot.

"Miss Nikos, your semblance control is pretty outstanding for your age, though I feel you are focusing too much on that core aspect of your semblance, you are only using it in its fundamental state, though that's expected not many know exactly that their semblance is more than just one ability." Tir said in a low tone.

"I know Miss Wolf, I have been looking at more possibilities of my semblance but, I can't seem find its more advanced state." Pyrrah confessed.

"Search deep within your soul, you will find the answer Miss Nikos." Bruno added in.

"Next up!" Tir beckoned the next pair.

Ren and Weiss got up and walked down to the stage.

Just as Tir was about to begin, Bruno noticed the headmaster passing by giving him a look he knew and it wasn't good.

"Tir!" Bruno shouted

"Yes Weaver?" she perked up one brow

"I'll be right back hold down the fort k?" He grinned.

"You are just lounging anyway go on." She said in a tone that would fool anyone.

"With style!" Bruno decided to go with the flow causing an audible "hmph" from his friend.

As he shut the door on the teens training hard his expression did a 180 as he walked to the office.


	9. Chapter 7 Part 2

**A/N: Here is part 2 I've been busy the couple weeks due to work and all. Sorry if I can't pull out another chapter in the next week because of that but, Here you are! Enjoy, review as always.**

**Chapter 7 Second Day Part 2**

Fierce spells and auric bullets rung throughout the sparring arena.

A hail of ice rushed towards Ren who dodged acrobatically whilst firing his own volley of aura bullets. The two have been firing non-stop at each other.

Ren decided to bring it to a melee. He rushed forward dodging the hail of icicles. He swung his left gun's blade at Weiss who parried it away while stepping backwards. She lunged forward from her fencing stance.

Ren barely dodged it.

He high kneed Weiss's wrist forcing her arm up. She jumped back keeping her fencing stance. He propped up in a one legged stance with his Stormflowers pointed at Weiss. He beckoned her to attack. His face showing a deadly calm.

Weiss lunged at Ren again, only this time adding a wide variety of sword arts along with her fencing. Ren widened his eyes in surprise as he was forced to dodge and parry a myriad of stabs and slashes. As the attacks sped up he enhanced his vision to keep up with her furry.

"Haaa!" Weiss shouted as she twirled the revolver in her rapier and flames streaked along her wide curved arc upwards.

Ren poured aura into his left weapon as he leaped back shooting at Weiss's charged rapier.

As the bullet made contact with her rapier there was a large explosion.

Shortly after, Weiss zoomed out of the smoke. Before Ren could react he took a powered lung at his stomach. He got shot backwards hitting the wall.

He stumbled a bit. As his vision struggled from the back of his head hitting the wall he could see Weiss charging directly at him. He dropped Stormflower and used aura to refocus his eyes and reinforce his body.

Right before Weiss's rapier hit him for the second time he used his palm to redirect her rapier from harming him any further and used his left palm which made contact with Weiss's body. His eyes widened slightly as he concentrated his aura into his palm all at the same time.

Her body shuddered in pain from Ren's palm blast. The force sending a small shockwave through her body It was not enough to stop her however as a glyph appeared under Ren's feet.

"Freeze..." was all she said as Ren's feet were frozen instantly. Another glyph appeared above him as she leaped back falling back though she struggled stand, "I win this one Ren..."

The ice shattered from the force of the second glyph along with Ren smacking the floor.

Ren could not move, the force of the gravity glyph took its tole on his body which screamed, His aura levels dropped fast with each second.

"Halt! Ren is incapacitated! Winner is Weiss!" Tir yelled. "Good fight you two! Outstanding use of Aura and dust! However both of you rely too much on both! Mix it up and you will not have to strain as hard! Next up!"

Ren groaned as he lugged himself back up to the bleachers where the rest that have finished sparring sat. Weiss body ached from the palm blast and could hardly walk so Ruby helped her over.

"Ren! I thought you had it! I know! I'll give you a hug make you feel better!" Nora ran up to him with Jaune right behind her.

"Wait! Nor- AGH!"

Nora hugged Ren crushing his remaining stamina.

"Uh, Nora? Its your turn to spar." Jaune attempted to loosen the valkyries vice grip.

"Ooo! Yea! Wish me luck Ren!" The valkyrie said with a upbeat tone.

Nora let go as she hopped down to the sparring arena to fight with Blake. Jaune shook his head at his teammate as he brought one arm over his shoulder and carried him back to their seats.

"I am sure you know the rules!" Tir said, "Begin!"

Nora grinned at Blake like an excited child. She pulled out her hammer and rushed forward.

Blake remained calm but knew she could not take that large hammer head on.

Nora swung at Blake in a wide arc from right to left.

Blake's eyes grew wide as she saw the hammer coming at her faster than she would of thought other dodged backwards nearly taking a hit from the valkyrie's hammer.

Blake pulled her weapon from its holster without unsheathing it but she did not lung forward.

Nora smiled once again and twirled her hammer like paper. She started to run towards Blake once more. Nora golf swung into Blake with horrifying speed. At the same time she pulled the trigger, firing off one of the grenades within the hammer head.

Blake's body flew back only to disappear with her appearing behind Nora. Then with three quick slashes in a cross pattern she hit the valkyrie. Nora did not show any visual pain as she turned around instantly and swung once more.

Once again, Blake seemed to disappear this time appearing to her side. Nora seemed to anticipate her appearing and swung her hammer in all directions rapidly not allowing Blake to counter so Blake leaped back.

Still twirling her hammer Nora turned to faced Blake still grinning. "How do you do that! Thats so cool! I want to be able to make clones of myself!" she seemed to be enjoying the thrill of battle. At that instant she mechshifted her weapon into a grenade launcher and shot three rapid shots towards Blake then one upwards.

Blake dodged the volley leaping upwards but she did not see the last shot so she literally collided with the round causing an explosion mid-air.

Nora mechashifted her weapon back into a hammer and swung upwards. The weight of the hammer seemed to carry her along with it. The top of the hammer crashed into Blake which used her semblance again to appear behind the skyward valkyrie. Nora instinctively pulled the trigger on her hammer causing it to fling in a wide spin heading back towards Blake. The valkyrie seemed to laugh as she was getting flung like a rag doll by her own hammer. Blake used her semblance one more time ending back up on the ground as Nora fell down crashing on her bottom.

Blake was exhausted, she had used her semblance way too many times in succession. Nora in front of her seemed to have way too much energy. She felt like this was a bad match for her. She did not give up however.

With new resolve she tread lightly towards the valkyrie who was twirling her hammer like a standard pole.

She shifted her weapon into its pistol form and shot at Nora which used her hammer to deflect the shots. It caused the valkyrie to only defend her front side. Blake mustered what she could without pulling into the red zone and used her fundamental semblance to its max capability. A shadow clone appeared behind Nora.

The valkyrie seemed stunned as she saw Blake in front of her still. Then another one appeared above her then two more on her sides. Each one lunged at her while Blake shot an aura cleave right at the valkyrie who jumped upwards. The purple wave made contact with the base of the hammer in an attempt to block the cleave but upon contact the wave exploded earning an audible grunt from the valkyrie. The blast took a major chunk out of her aura as it was in the red.

The two were about to continue when they were interrupted by Tir.

Halt! Tie! Both of you are in the red zone. It is unsafe to continue any further but remember in these spars we are fighting with parameters! In a real battle no such things exists therefore you must take caution in your strategies. It is preferable to stay more defensive depending on the situation children and to keep a cool head."

She walked over to Blake and Nora which were smiling at one another, "Not a bad performance you two. Both of you seem to be very much in control in your thoughts and actions. Though again most of you only use your fundamental semblances and for the upcoming battle ahead we need you guys at your peak! I want you all to try to look deep within yourselves over the rest of today...No the whole time we are training! Semblances are acquired by how much you know about yourself in conjunction with your abilities!"

She stomped her foot on the ground, "Good job today guys, any questions?"

Yang raised her hand.

"Yes Miss Long?"

"What exactly are we training to fight against."

"Its against Grimm like we saw in Emerald Forest!" Ruby explained.

"Yes and no Miss Rose." Tir corrected, "What we are fighting are Grimm but, they are not your typical Grimm. The ones Weaver and you all encountered in the forest are nothing compared to what Weaver and I have seen and will encounter once again."

"and what do you mean most? Is there someone that used a more advanced semblance?" Yang asked once more.

"Yes, Mr. Arc displayed two semblance usages and I have to go say Mr. Arc that is certainly a terrifying semblance. We just need to work on that aura control."

Jaune shied away in vain as his friends looked at him with mixed feelings.

* * *

><p><strong>Ozpin's office<strong>

"I am concerned about the recent Grimm activity Bruno. Also, a close and trust worthy friend of mine predicts that a certain individual will cause chaos allowing something truly catastrophic to happen. I just do not know what." Ozpin sipped his coffee.

"Hmmm, What kind of activity are we speaking of Ozpin. There are strange reports of robberies consisting of purely dust going missing." Bruno spoke wanting answers.

"The Goliaths."

"You mean the massive Grimm that are classified as A-rank? They have been here for ages, I bet some are as old as I or older even." Bruno interjected.

"Yes, more and more of them seem to be within close proximity to the kingdom." Ozpin massaged his forehead.

"How many are we talking?"

"Over this month alone its almost been double the herds." Ozpin pulled something from his scroll and flashed it towards Bruno.

"Without information Ozpin I cannot figure this out. Do you have any more info?" Bruno had this foreboding feeling in his gut.

This info alone was not enough to seek extra protective measures for the kingdom. Some kingdoms may see the measures as a threat. Bruno cursed inwardly of how foolish mankind can get when there are times of prosperity.

"Its obvious whats happening but, there is not enough, let alone enough for you to present the issue to the kingdom." Bruno sighed.

"Yea and on the dust robberies, I have a small amount of recent information...No a recent event that took place involving one of the students you are actually training." Ozpin pulled up his hologram monitor and projected the students information on wall to Bruno's right.

"Ruby Rose." Bruno's eyes narrowed, "What took place."

"My assistant can tell you because she was there." Ozpin called over Glynda.

She appeared after around five minutes.

"Glynda tell Mr. Sieg what took place before school started involving Miss Rose. It is very important."

Goodwitch stood there debating to deny the request when she realized what may be at stake here.

She sighed, "Alright, It was a late night. I was taking on a job as a hunter to patrol the city due to the recent string of dust robberies. As I got near the south end of the city I heard intense fighting, the sounds of metal being clashed violently. There I saw our current student Ruby Rose, fighting a man dressed in a white suit with red collar, along with a bowler cap. He looked to have had orange hair covering one eye with the other with eyeliner." She paused due the immortal scoffing at the mans appearance.

"Suit is fine, Bowler is fine but eyeliner? Seriously?" Bruno was holding back laughter.

"As I was saying..." She glared at Bruno which calmed down and smiled politely, "The girl was doing fine she successfully ruined the robbery but, I had to step in when the criminal was attempting to escape while possibly taking the girls life. Then a woman appeared at the bullheads door. She had dark long hair with piercing yellow-orange eyes wearing a mini-dress with intricate golden designs on top to her sleeves." She paused again this time in alarm as the immortal's eyes went wide, "What is it Mr. Sieg?"

"I have a feeling I've seen that woman, She definitely did have a dangerous feeling to her. Though I shrugged it off as just an emotion. Though I could tell she was a thorough master of an element, much like how I am with ice and flame...Oh I am sorry I interrupted again."

"Its quite alright, the story ended with her and that man getting away. Is there anything else you would like me to do Headmaster." Glynda began to exit.

"Stay here Miss Goodwitch at this point its important to have you here with us during these discussions." said Bruno.

"Yes, he is right there is no point to being secretive when you know who he is and what he is trying to do." Ozpin agreed.

Goodwitch simply nodded and took a seat next to Bruno.

"Well, I can relay this information to Tir as well as the descriptions about those two. Hopefully she'll find out whats going on, on the human side of things. The Grimm side however, I might be able to figure that out. However, I would need to take a trip. I could leave training to Tir but, I have to train Arc as well. He needs the training desperately, he is not up to speed with over half the group."

"Well, seeing as these events may determine how much time we have left, I'll leave the training to Tir. I have told Arc most of what he needs to do and he should be up to where I need him to be by the time I get back. I'll take my leave now. Have a good day Ozpin and Miss Goodwitch." He waved the two goodbye.

"You can call me Glynda, Bruno. Also if this is all you two had to say I should of just left! I have important things to do you know! Such as pair the students up with sparring partners for their next combat class based on their abilities tomorrow!" Glynda yelled earning a laugh from the headmaster and Bruno.

"Sorry! But please do stay whenever we have things to discuss we'll call you over, a third opinion is important you know." With that Bruno walked out the door and made his way to the landing pads to catch a dustplane.

"I'll...just contact Tir once I am on the plane..." He did not want any arguments on where he was about to go.


	10. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8 - A not so Minor Bump in the Road**

**A/N: Aw man, busy week last week sorry bout that. Thanks for reading this fic, I do hope you are enjoying it though I'm not too confident in my writing heh. I can only hope to do better or at least try with each new chapter/ story I think of. Enjoy.**

**P.S: Jaune killed his first Grimm!(By himself) (I know I'm a bit late but I only recently got to sit down and write this chapter and I want to voice my happiness for the guy xD.**

**I do not own RWBY. All rights go to Monty and hes crew. Peace**

* * *

><p><strong>Beacon lounge<strong>

Teams JNPR and RWBY were sitting with their mentor Tir Wolf who looked pretty pissed off of the recent events that took place yesterday.

**Yesterday**

" I can't believe him!" Tir shouted as Teams RWBY and JNPR sat there trying to channel their auras into completely normal weapons at a steady rate.

All the teens looked in her direction at her sudden outburst.

Seeing the looks of wonder and worry, she enlightened them of their other mentor's planned action.

"Bruno said he was going to the outer lands of Vale! He knows full well how dangerous it is in the wilderness!" She was outright pissed off, " Whats more is he said he left yesterday during your spars!"

The teens sat there wide eyed and worried, no one was to ever go near the outer borders. They questioned why and how is he planning to get there.

Tir said, "He has his ways, even I would have hard time getting there honestly." Then she made a full 180, " And what are you children doing? I don't see aura being channeled!"

"But, its impossible! There is no aura conduit! How are we supposed to do this with these completely old school weapons!" Yang had two pairs of metal bracers in her knuckles, slightly frustrated.

Tir sighed and grabbed the a wooden spear off the weapon rack she had brought.

"Children, just because the weapon is completely normal, does not mean that it cannot channel aura at all. In fact being able to channel it into anything you want makes you all the more versatile. Some semblances infuse the energy with similar properties of itself allowing free control." She stared at Pyrrah briefly before continuing, " Think of it as if you trying to truly connect with your weapon."

In a few moments the spear was outlined with a light pink aura. Along with the visual aura the weapon seemed to look visibly stronger in her hands as if the spear was made out of the finest material.

"Now, this is what you want to reach, if you put too little it will be worthless," she eased her aura a bit the spear seemed to look normal, "If you put too much..." she poured an excessive amount of her aura into the spear. The spear rattled violently and not too long after it shattered, "This happens children."

"Whoa!" Ruby cringed at the sight of a weapon shattering in front of her. " That poor weapon." She frowned.

Yang and Jaune rested their hands on her shoulder.

"Cmon, lets get it right." Jaune reassured the group.

"I'd worry more about your self Jaune, you seem to have the most aura out of all of us according to Tir and Bruno, that can't be easy to control." said Weiss.

"True..." Jaune said dejectedly but shortly after, "That just means I have to work hard out it Snow Angel!" he grinned as he stared at his bastard sword once more.

Tir smiled at how hard they were trying.

* * *

><p><strong>Bullhead over the outer edge of Forever Fall – One day before present.<strong>

"This is as far as I can take you sir!" The pilot was hovering over the edge of the crimson forest's outer border over looking rigorous mountains shrouded with a dark mist in the distance.

"This place is fine, I'll walk the rest of the way!" Bruno hollered over the roar of the Bullhead's engine.

"I don't know about you but, the place you seem to want to go is suicide sir!" The pilot said with a worried look on his face.

" This is why I am going alone, I can't bring a lady and eight disciples along can I?" Bruno added jokingly, "Thanks for the ride Richie!" He jumped off the bullhead landing onto a tree. He saluted the pilot who turned around after a short salute back.

The pilot was right. This was a risk. Just beyond these mountains lay grimm who have lived possibly longer than he has. At the same time he may have the answer he was looking for. 'Could I can make it back to relay the news? Now that's a another story!' he chuckled to himself. He walked on towards the mountains. He looked up at the sky and found it was midday, he needed to find suitable shelter before nightfall.

* * *

><p><strong>Beacon academy – three days after Tir receiving late message.<strong>

"Lord! This is so frustrating!" Yang shouted only to be shushed by the librarian.

She about had it keeping a constant aura up at all times. Not only did they have extra training! They even had paper assignments! All given by one mentor! There was multiple subjects from aura manipulation, the history of Remnant, types of known Grimm and how to defeat them, Tactics and Team Tactics, and much more! She had no problem really with being assigned book work, but to do book work while using aura? She had gone through roughly fifty pencils and various writing utensils in these three days alone!

"Uh sis, its not going to help if you are blazing." A calm Ruby was writing up a paragraph on team tactics to be turned into Tir by the next day.

"But Ruby! How do you do it girl! In fact ALL OF YOU, except Jaune," She heard his cry of frustration in Team JNPR's room across the hall, "Have nearly gotten this down. I can't even pick up a damn pencil for Monty's sake!"

"Well Yang, you have a pretty wild aura, remember what Tir said? You have to calm your self and keep it steady." Weiss added.

"Well, there is only one way to calm down at this point, I am hitting the training room." Yang promptly burst out of her team's dorm seeing a fellow blonde.

Tir walked towards the computer and information room. She passed by her two blonde disciples over hearing their agreement in how frustrating her training can be along with hearing the words training room. She smiled to herself. She knew everyone was different and required different methods but, if she told them that wouldn't exactly teach them a lick. They are on the right track.

She entered the room seeing it full of various computers along with an information kiosk containing references and tidbits on various techy stuff.

' If that reckless man is going on a possible suicide mission, I might as well follow up with his request.' She thought to herself as she sat down at the furthest terminal in the back.

' A little information diving won't hurt.' She pulled out a drive containing all her essentials. 'Time to get to work.' She grinned.

**Training Room**

The room was littered with destroyed training dummies from Yang's onslaught.

Yang threw a loaded shotgun punch at a training dummy causing it to shatter to pieces. Then followed up with a kick crushing the dummy behind her.

"Time to turn it up!" She hit the button on the console which in turned summoned seemingly real Grimm.

"That's more like it!" She shouted while dodging an Ursa swipe. Then following up with a deadly uppercut to its jaw sending it upwards.

Meanwhile Jaune was standing there with his eyes closed surrounded by inanimate training dummies.

Bruno had told him a calm and serene mind was a key factor in control. The more relaxed he got the more in control he got but, the veteran also told him it was due to his large reserve that he might need to exhaust a little bit of it before attempting to gain control. ' Like a simple " Only do what you can handle" type deal huh.'

He dug within himself and attempted to release a good amount of his reserve.

His body began to flicker aura wise, the nature of his aura growing violent in a display of white flames.

By this time the rest of his team had decided to hit the training room along with the rest of team RWBY.

They all stood there watching the two. The two were vastly different in personality and fighting style yet they both saw the same amount of fury.

By then Jaune opened his eyes and decided to fully release what he intended. The force of his aura disintegrated the surrounding dummies before him. The flames died down as he brought it down to a more controlled state, one similar to before he sparred yesterday.

"That did the trick." He muttered to himself before he noticed the rest of his team and the rest of Team RWBY. He then glanced at the once fury enticed brawler to one of a mixed feeling of worry and wow.

"Jaune, should you be releasing that much aura? That looked way beyond a controlled aura, it was like when you carried that sword!" Ruby said with a hint of worry in her tone.

"I'll be fine Ruby, Bruno told me to exhaust a bit of my aura before attempting to control it." Jaune assured the worried looks of his friends. "Besides, that was not even half. Though, Bruno's technique on a quick release of aura is a bit hard on the training dummies." He stared at the bits of metal and wood scattered on his training pad. The stubs that used to be dummies were shortly replaced with fresh pairs shorty after.

"Well, Now that I feel like I'm more in control I am heading back to the dorm, still need to finish that report in tactics, shouldn't take too long though." He ran off before any of his team and Ruby had anything to say.

"I call dibs" Ruby screamed, earning audible grunts from her friends. Nora and Ren had taken the final training consoles leaving Jaune's previous console up for grabs. The rest dragged themselves to the waiting benches and decided to wait for their turn.

* * *

><p><strong>Edge of Forever Fall, Mountain Base<strong>

"Hmmm..." Bruno thought out loud while a small horde of age old beowolves stared him down. "Nothing too out of the ordinary here, same as I had visited the first time. Grimm population is higher than expected though..." He motioned his aggressors with a faint outline of aura. "Any day now! You A-classes are burning my precious day light!"

As if they understood his taunt they all charged as one. The heavily armored Alpha leading the charge.

Right before impact there was suddenly no trace of the horde, only a calm immortal.

' I'm not in the mood for play, A-class or not, they are still beowolves.' He moved on towards the base of the mountain going on the faint trace of aura he had sensed as he got closer to the mountain base while thinking ' Now anything other than beowolves...auric force will only push them back in annoyance.'

Concealing his aura, Bruno scanned the base of the mountain. Multiple fresh lingering aura hung in the air. The amount of activity near the base of the mountain kind of surprised him. This place after all teemed with high level to S-Class Grimm.

He hard voices near him which caused him to conceal himself in a tree.

"Man, why do we even patrol this area. The Grimm pretty much take care of it for us. Plus I don't want to be on the receiving end of any of the Grimm in this area!" A man with a white Grimm mask complained to his fellow member.

"I'd rather be out here than listen to Roman's witty banter and smart ass attitude dude. He's human! I don't know what our leader is doing! We shouldn't be listening to that disease." The other seemed to make a valid point with the others chuckle in agreement.

'Hmmm it seems I have stumbled on to something extra. The only group I know with such hate for humans, which has changed radically in his opinion, was the White Fang. They have gone from protesters to full on criminals within a couple years.' He pondered in the tree. He concluded either there was a sudden change in leadership or the leader had gone bonkers.

Still it saddened him greatly at their radical turn from something that could slowly change the world to something that will, in the end, bring more hate towards the very thing they wish to protect.

His remaining thoughts were interrupted by a bullet hurling towards him.

"Sneaky little bastard aren't you guy?" A man in a bowler cap appeared before Bruno.

"Holy hell, you do wear eyeliner." Bruno spat outloud with no hesitation.

"HEY! I take offense to that! Roman Torchwick will be the last thing you'll ever see because youl'll be dead you scared freak." Roman shot another barrage at the immortal.

"Whatever floats your boat on fashion buddy. Thank you for the name by the way. What other important information will you hand me for freebies?" Bruno effortlessly dodged the barrage.

"Kill this man!" Roman ordered.

Seconds later a large group of Faunus appeared weapons poised at Bruno.

Bruno put his hands up in the air. "Ya got me! I surrender." He took his hilt and dust vials on the ground before the large group.

"Oooo so you know when to give up." Roman walked over to Bruno.

Roman kicked Bruno in the face with full force knocking him backwards. "That's for the insult. Take him to the holding cells! NOW! Take his vials and put them in..." He looked at the vials and saw the were high grade, "No, put them in with the high grade." He looked at the immortal rubbing his face. "Your dust will make a good contribution freak."

Bruno grinned inwardly holding back the urge to kill the fool. He need information, the only way was to start from the inside.

"Blindfold him you idiots! We don't want him seeing anything." Roman ordered before the men could drag him to where they were going to drag him.

"Why don't we just kill this human." The grunt said

Bruno admitted, he did have a point.

"Because grunt, when a man surrenders without a fight. He should be allowed to live at least...not that you can't torture him a bit..." Roman shot Bruno's leg causing him to fall. The grunts caught him snickering.

"Hmmm this one's semblance is regeneration..." Roman smiled evilly shooting him a couple more times in the same leg, "He won't die easily, do what you want with him, just DON'T kill him yet."

Bruno remained stoic as the White Fang members pummeled him. The years upon years of constant punishment made him numb to pain that was not S-Class Grimm. Still, he had to make it convincing so he grunted and winced in order to not raise suspicion.

"Okay enough, anymore may just kill the man take him to the holding cells now. I got business to tend to." He heard Roman walk off in another direction.

Bruno was dragged a good distance from where he was found. Until the ground turned from the soft grass to a hard surface. The echoed drips told him they were in a cave of some sort. The ground was too smooth to be a cave so he came to the conclusion it was man made.

With a rough toss he was thrown hard into a wall. He heard the screeching sound of a metal gate and the tell tale sound of a lock being secured.

"Have fun rotting scum." The White Fang grunt spat on him.

'Shame' Was all the immortal thought of this current group.

Roman Torchwick was on wits end, Cinder had been blindly giving him orders with barely any information on the "Major Plan." All he know's is he had to get the rest of the dust, manufacture bombs powerful enough to blow holes to an underground subway hidden under Mountain Glenn. Why? He saw no point other than mass destruction with the flood of Grimm into Vale.

Least he'll have some fun blowing a hole into Vale. ' It'll teach the idiot "head leaders and council," that this world is not in their total control, that's certain." He smirked to himself.

He noticed his subordinate happily walk out towards the holding cells.

"Don't kill him Neo. Not yet, we don't know anything about him, I have a feeling he'll be useful for us." He warned the girl which simply nodded.

* * *

><p><strong>Beacon Academy<strong> –** Three days later**

By this time the teens were getting more confident with their ability in aura control.

"Jaune! We are tied in sparring! I am going to so tie break the next time." Yang said brimming with confidence.

"Too bad, I am fighting Pyrrah tomorrow. That score will be settled another day Yang." Jaune said.

Everyone stared at the knight. For having the "highest" reserve and "lowest combat abilities(at the time)" he was sure learning frighteningly fast.

"What? Something on my face? Do I have bed head?" Jaune began inspecting himself.

Before everyone could explain their mentor stepped in.

" My lord Weaver is stupid." She screamed. "How did he even get this picture taken! His hands are tied for Monty's sake!"

The teens ran up to her curiously about the picture.

Tir pinched the bridge of her nose and flashed them the picture of their mentor. Tied up and grinning like a maniac.

" What was the point of my research if he goes straight to their base even if it was by total accident." She then looked down past the picture and saw his text.

"_My informant tells me that this is only one of their MANY bases, continue to research as I requested. By the way, eye-liner's name is Roman Torchwick, if you didn't know already. :P"_Once again she pinched her nose.

"Whatever, according to this he's perfectly fine. Time for training, physical training children. We are going on a little trip today." Her expression lightened up.

The teens on the other hand groaned.

* * *

><p><strong>Mountain Base<strong>

"Did you send it?" Bruno asked still tied and blindfolded.

"..."

"Good, still you never cease to amaze me Neo! Roman must be very gullible or you are a master of deception." He smiled and looked in the direction she was simply smiling at him in his cell.

"I'll be on my way now, keep me updated. Still, I never thought I would run into you directly. Now throw an illusion of yourself or something, it would look strange if you were not unscathed as I escape you know." In that instant Bruno's ropes were burnt off his wrists. He reached behind his head for the blindfold and burned it off showing his white irises.

"..."

"Of course, and if Roman goes too far. Don't hesitate to bring him down." Bruno gave her a pat on the shoulder and walked through the shattered cage door. " Tir is going to freak haha, you even used MY scroll pulled from my person to send that?"

She blinked several times changing eye colors each time with a grin.

"Girl, choose one color its confusing me." Bruno returned turning one eye crimson. "You don't see me turning my eyes like this! Ah never mind. I have ground to cover though I have a feeling I'll be a tad late...Anyways. See ya Neo and you might want to clear some distance."

Neo jumped back still smiling.

Seeing as Neo was clear he literally ignited into a flame. The flames however did not leave any markings on the ground. Roman rushed in full of panic and shortly after rage.

"What are you doing free?! Guards!" Roman barked. Shortly after, Neo appeared next to Roman along with two White Fang members.

Roman smiled and motioned them to get rid of him.

Before the fight could commence Bruno had a foreboding feeling.

"Stop! I don't think we have the luxury to be fighting among-st ourselves right now Roman." Bruno began to weave, "I suggest we get out of here. NOW." He knew this feeling and if he was correct, the sky itself would be pitch black. He saw Neo with the same expression as his.

"..." Giving Roman a hard stare.

"I can't understand-"

"Roman pull up your outer monitor!" The immortal ordered.

"Why?" Roman said angrily.

"Do it no questions! I need to confirm also!" Bruno barked.

"Ugh," He pulled up the outside monitor. There was nothing.

"Why isn't it working?!" Roman tapped repeatedly on the remote.

"Its working Roman. If you value your life get your men and abandon this base." Bruno commanded.

"Are you nuts?!" Roman screamed, "I don't even know whats going on! Guards kill this insane foo-"

Before Roman could finish he heard a loud savage cry.

"Oh dust what was that?!" Roman showing a hint of fear.

"S-Class, Harbinger." Bruno replied.

"WHAT! The Harbinger should not be anywhere NEAR here! We are not that far into the outer lands!" Roman tried to deny but suddenly the screen showed a little bit of light making out a sinister Grimm form.

It looked like a mere beowolf but, it possessed a jagged weapon with a searing aura like, black flame.

"Its coming, get your damn men out of here. You have a back door right? You may be on the wrong side of the spectrum when it comes to justice but, no one deserves to get killed by...That..." Bruno pointed up at the screen.

Bruno quickly pulled out his scroll to inform Tir he may or may not make it back in one piece. The last time he fought Harbinger it nearly chopped him in half only to be saved by Reginald Arc on the final stages of the war. Harbinger retreated to the edges of the world. Possibly to recover seeing as he could see most of its armored plating was fully restored. Its sinister look still had the scarred eye he had given it. Its composition was close to a beowolf, no, it was better than a beowolf. It was faster, more agile, and more powerful. It was one entity Bruno he hoped he wouldn't meet again. Its charcoal black armor plates with a white intricate design littered its body made him clench his fists.

The weave had finished creating a large double edged sword engraved with intricate flame like patterns. ' Been a long time since I used Vision even though its missing a core component' he stared at the long thick blade with a intricate hilt that was jagged at the edges. The core component being the hilt Roman took away. Then with his left he made a motion striking downwards. His ancient engraved great-sword materializing in it. 'Its been too long since I have used Origin too' he smiled lightly.

He knew he had to serious on this one.

Neo stood beside Bruno invisible to Roman with her sword drawn out of her parasol. Her illusion still was next to Roman.

"No, you retreat with Roman I'll hold it off. Take care." He whispered while smiling bitterly "Tell Asin the next time you meet: Bruno says to stop being an idiot! Okay?"

Neo's expression was of refusal but she complied knowing she couldn't argue with him.

"Roman! Where is my gear! You'd do well to tell me." Bruno commanded.

"O-over where we put the high grade stuff! H-here take this it will show you where! I am outta here!" He fled, no doubt to the emergency exit.

"Bit of a coward huh?" He looked over to Neo, "What are you still DOING HERE! GO!."

She disappeared leaving no trace. Bruno looked up at the screen and saw Harbinger literally tear a hole through the base. Seeing many foolish White Fang members shooting and fleeing. The sinister Grimm tore through the members like paper. Each jagged swing of its sword cutting through the Faunas. It seemed to play as they weren't killed outright. The Grimm cut off arms, legs, also stabbing through them like butter. Bruno could imagine the screams being heard as the Grimm pulled out with its jagged sword tearing flesh and organs out like a saw as he ran through the corridors towards his dust and hilt.

The loud primal roar got closer and closer. He hoped he would not run into it before he got his dust.

**Back at Beacon**

"Lord help him." Was all Tir could say when she received another message from Bruno. He was not in a good position and she was too far away to even help him. The Harbinger was no joke. She had never fought the S-Class but, from the story she heard from her reckless friend and his reluctance to actually want to fight the thing again was enough.

She put the scroll down and stared down at the students running and clashing with the stray Grimm up and down the mountain.

'If you die Bruno, I will kill you.' She chuckled at how redundant that statement was.

After a couple hours the teens had finally hiked back up the mountain and back thrice. The last being to reach the original spot at the top where Tir stood.

Jaune collapsed laying back first on the grass. Shortly after, everyone else seeing how comfortable he was.

"Good job, we'll continue in fifteen minutes. Parkour back to the school follow my lead. Rest well." She stared in the direction of Forever Fall. The group noticed she seemed distant but decided not to pry.

"Shit!" Bruno dodged the jagged sword from the Harbinger. The Grimm seemed to be stronger than the last time he had fought it. 'It has been a long while after all' he thought as he was not allowed to be offensive. The sword strikes seem to come in droves as it howled savagely.

He was without dust, the damn Grimm had caught up with him. It was almost like it sensed him and went straight for the immortal. He would not be surprised due to the fact they had fought once before.

"I refuse to die without much of a fight!" Bruno dodged backwards from a lunge that nearly impaled him right through the chest. He swung in a vertical arc with Vision firing off an auric wave as he retreated.

The Grimm merely swatted it away. The jagged sword's dark flames seemed to grow. Bruno's eyes widened, he knew what was going to happen. He counter-acted pouring some aura into both Vision and Origin.

Just as he predicted Harbinger swung in a horizontal arc followed up with a vertical arc. Black dark waves in a cross jettisoned from the blade. At the same time Bruno diagonally swung Origin followed by Vision creating an X pattern creating a wave of his own. The two collided, causing red and black energy to circulate creating a crater. A stray black energy nicked Bruno in the face causing some bleeding. The cut would never heal as fast as a normal wound. Only his inherit regeneration would save him from minor wounds at this point.

The black energy that high class Grimm used is an unknown substance. It showed no trace of a soul yet, it seemed to behave similarly to the aura applications Hunters use today. Even he never figured out what or how high class Grimm materialize it.

The Grimm seemed to smile savagely at the cut.

Bruno needed to get his gear. Vision was not complete and he could not use the elements to his disposal. He dissipated Origin and brought out his scroll all the while keeping an eye on Harbinger. He was close and yet far. ' Just my luck its behind the bastard. RIGHT BEHIND the bastard.' He grimaced while repeating.

Bruno pushed all thoughts aside and charged at the Harbinger.

The Harbinger responded with fast swings aimed to kill. Bruno dodged relentlessly and parried with equal force at any attack he was unable to dodge. Bruno noticed Vision beginning to weaken due to not having a catalyst. He finally was within a comfortable striking distance. He began to counter with his own moves. Using aura to reinforce his strikes he struck down. The Grimm blocked Vision but Bruno followed up twisting his body using the force of impact at leverage to lift himself up over the Grimm. Still using the momentum he gained from his last move. He placed a kick towards the head of the Grimm. The heel of his foot connected making the Grimm who was put off balance from the last maneuver to fall forward and hit the ground.

Bruno wasted no time and headed towards the room on the end of the corridor. He heard the Harbinger's infuriated roar behind him. He needed to get his stuff and retreat. He could not face this Grimm alone for too long. He stared at what would have been a large gash if he hadn't dodged after following through with his kick. The Grimm was quick and accurate if it could nearly cut him in two while dazed. His hooded jacket was cut diagonally along with his black shirt underneath a shallow cut followed behind it was bleeding a bit.

He called upon his aura to heal the wound on top of his semblance to seal it as fast as possible. He had no time.

Upon reaching the door Bruno cut through the chunk of metal with two quick slashes. He kicked the middle of the frame sending four corners crumbling down spinning across the warehouse floor.

There was a number of high quality dust capsules, boxes and vials littered throughout the large room.

On the desk he saw his vials and his hilt. "Gotcha! Time to get out of here but first..." He had a plan to temporary stop the Harbinger, it probably would not kill it but it would keep it off his tail for a bit.

He gathered the required dust vials with practiced ease. He quickly looked around the room for anything that resembled a grenade. He could hear the Harbinger getting closer and closer. By the sound it was walking towards him. It probably thinks he's running out of options and decided to play with him a bit. He had to admit he was close to out of options. He simply could not fight this thing alone and he knew it. Retreat was the best option and he had to hurry or else be trapped in a room full of explosive dust and a raging S-Class Grimm. He did not want to entertain that thought any further because he found what he was looking for.

Bruno quickly began measuring the amount of dusts in the vials and mixed them together in the sphere. He did not break a sweat while shaking the concoction due to many years of practice.

With his plan finished he looked at scroll of the map Roman gave him. There was a room on the other side with a door. He saw the Harbinger literally within his sights. He smashed the button on the grenade which injected red dust into the mixed dust grenade which offset the balance of the formula. He made himself a pseudo exit out of the room as the Harbinger stepped in crashing into the end wall after an attempt to slice Bruno in two.

Bruno flew out the door and ran as fast as he could. The Harbinger struggled to get out of the mound of boxes it had toppled over. The sphere began to shake violently. The Grimm finally righted itself to stare at the shaking sphere.

Bruno saw the emergency exit on his scroll which was a bit of a ways. He needed to get there before his plan. ' Fat chance, I got one more corridor and that thing shoul-'

Bruno was lifted off his feet as a massive explosion smashed him into the wall, scalding his cloths, pieces of metal and shrapnel cutting into him.

"GAAHDAKLLDKGJ" He screamed as loud as he could in order to not knock out from all the pieces of metal that just impaled him.

The underground base seemed to shudder from the massive explosion. Then shortly after he heard another one three times louder along with the Harbinger's savage pained cry.

"Bastard of a Grimm is still damn alive, as expected." He pulled out shards of metal in his legs in order to let them heal so he could run again. The exit was not far.

"Now I'm questioning if this was at all worth it." He inspects the chip Neo had given him. It looked fine which relieved his worry.

" Time to get out of here before that thing recovers." Bruno started again. The ceiling shuddering under him as he made his way to the exit.

**Beacon**

A bunch of passed out teenagers lay on the front steps of Beacon Academy.

"...Weren't you a little rough on their first week?" Ozpin stood there with one brow raised at the panting teens.

"There is no time, even for an immortal now. Plus this is all within their limits, they get a good bit of rest for the rest of the day anyway." She walked up to the group of exhausted teens, "Alright good work. Have a good rest for the rest of the day. I want the report on types of Grimm and their weaknesses turned in tomorrow, along with the next assignment due the day after tomorrow on all the known S-Class Grimm and what is currently known about them. Dismissed."


	11. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9 – Breaks, a Date, and Trouble**

Teams RWBY and JNPR sat in the court yard still reeling from the amount of physical training they had done. Jaune was utterly exhausted being the one who was the most physically unfit of the group. He laid on the rim of the fountain like a dead log.

"So, we never really talked about each other." Jaune suddenly broke the silence.

"What do you mean?" Weiss asked a hint of dislike in her voice.

"I mean that we've never really got to 'know' each other. You know, where we are from, what our goals are, why we want to become what we are training for. You know the typical 'What makes us, us' speech." Jaune said earning looks from his fellow peers.

"Isn't goal and what we want to become a little redundant Jaune?" Yang asked.

" Not really Yang, everyone can be a huntsman. What we want to become can be totally different. Our end game goal can be totally different and if you think about it, just wanting to become a huntsman is a little shallow don't you think?" Jaune shifted into an upright position giving off a goofy smile towards his friends, " My goal...is to not save the lives of now but, to work towards saving the lives of our future generations. Sure, the methods I chose...aren't exactly worthy of bragging rights but, what I think counts is the overall goal. I am willing to achieve it even if I must get my hands dirty. Of course, some that know of my family may see it as ' he is only becoming a huntsman due to the fact his family are all legendary huntsmen.' but who cares what others think right?"

The everyone looked at Jaune dumbfounded.

"That's...that's pretty deep Vomit-Boy." said Yang.

" That and the misunderstanding I had with my father made me think I was no good and I wanted to prove I was more than a failure. I just wanted him to praise me though deep down after much thought, I came to that conclusion. I also want to learn. I want to learn the secrets of the Grimm, what makes them tick. Then I want to crush it. Future generations will not have to deal with what we have had to deal with today." Jaunes voice echoed across the courtyard.

"Well, mines not as deep as yours Jaune but, I came here to get a thrill, experience many things and if I save people in the process that's just another plus!" Yang had a bit of hesitation in her tone which Jaune caught he decided to leave it at that.

"I want to be like those heroes in books. Save the day and live happily ever after!" Ruby cheered.

Yang ruffled her hair earning a pout from Ruby which Jaune thought was kind of cute.

"Well, I am a Schnee as soon as I picked up the sword and found I was good at it I knew I would strive to become a Huntress it was my calling. I also have a legacy to uphold." Weiss said with dignity.

" Snow Angel, that's a little shallow don't cha think?" Jaune said teasing her. He knew it was facade. Her actions and tone did not match together. In the little time he knew her, he knew she was lying, he found it sad that she put up that act but, whenever she was hanging out with her team she dropped her heiress attitude and looked like a normal girl.

"Shut up dunce. I don't want to hear it from a guy who faked his way into here." Weiss stung back.

Jaune winced back a little. He had practically told everyone while he was training with Bruno inadvertently. Then even after that they wanted to confirm not long after. He saw mixed reactions and emotions that day. Team RWBY was boisterous with their thoughts where as his own team simply nodded and moved on as if nothing happened which gave him much reprieve. He felt good now that it was out in the open and that his own team and friends accepted him for who he was regardless of how he got here. Still, the thought of war springing up again made his blood boil for some reason.

" Ren and I fight for a rather selfish goal actually." Nora showed an unnatural serious expression. Ren tried to stop her but she held a hand back stopping the boy.

" An S-Class eradicated our home back when we were kids. Ren and I were visiting his grandparents which I came along with because he had invited me." uncontrolled tears fell and the rage in her voice was blinding, " We watched in horror on the TV of our town in ruins. No survivors, everyone was brutally killed. Our parents, our friends, our relatives. Everyone. We are here to get stronger. To get revenge."

Ren frowned and being the best buddy he was hugged her comforting her until she calmed down. In fact, this is why he stuck with her no matter her ridiculous scenes and schemes. He knew deep down she is hurting inside. After all, he lost his parents there too he knew how it felt like.

"So you guys lived near the outer land...My lord don't tell me. The tragedy of the town of Zebir?!" Jaune's eyes were wide open.

"Y-yes, that's the name of our home." Ren said, "I moved there from a distant town called Naero when I was but a young boy."

"I-I-I'm sorry Ren. My uncle tried to get there as fast as he could. By the time he got there it was too late." Jaune looked at the ground, "All I remember my uncle cursing himself greatly at his inability to save that town."

" There is nothing to apologize for Jaune, if you ever meet your uncle again. Tell him thank you." Nora agreed

"Why?" Jaune looked at his teammates confused.

"For trying to save them. That there was someone willing to risk their life. It takes a noble soul to put one self into a life threatening situation with no hesitation even in the face of an S-Class." said Ren.

"I will the next time we have a family gathering. He is an accomplished hunter and he makes it his priority help people in need."

"A good man." Pyrrah said, "Like many of us here we fight to survive. We fight to protect the weak. Most of us can say that we are here to protect the people. In my case I am like Jaune, I want to protect the future of mankind." Jaune nodded in agreement. He expected no less from his partner.

She shifted her tone suddenly, "People put me on a pedestal saying that they can't reach me but, being on it so long separates you from the rest of the crowd. You guys have shown to not care about my status as a champion."

"Of course! We're friends!" said Ruby, "We treat our friends like we would treat ourselves."

"I'm glad I can fight knowing you guys have my back." Pyrrah smiled.

"And we're glad to have you protecting ours as well." Yang and Ruby said at the same time.

"Jinx, you owe me a soda, no wait 2 boxes of strawberries." Ruby said.

"Damn...and why two?!" Yang slumped over at the silent response she got from her sister.

Blake remained quiet the whole time which no one seemed to mind. While Tir sat listening to their conversation while staring at her scroll awaiting her reckless friends status. ' He certainly chose the right group. Maybe we all can make it out of this alive.'

* * *

><p><strong>Abandoned Warehouse on the outskirts of Vale<strong>

"WHAT" Cinder was not pleased with the information the White Fang grunt relayed her.

"M-m-mam, t-th-" The grunt stuttered uncontrollably.

"Lord man, your a man! Speak with a confident tone. Now tell me again in detail!" She was growing impatient. She held back the desire to turn the grunt into a human torch.

"The outer land outpost has been over run. The report said Harbinger before the comms went dead!" He was talking so fast he was barely understandable.

"Was that so hard?" She walked over to the grunt, "Now for a reward." with that she placed a hand on the grunt's shoulder earning a confused terrified look.

"M-mam?"

"I don't like bad news, especially when your so called leader doesn't tell me himself..." She said almost with a demonic tone.

The grunt screamed as he was turned into a human torch from the inside out. He started screaming at the top of his lungs. Fire oozed out of his eye sockets and mouth and then in an instant he was a full inflamed body. The screams only lasted a second until there was nothing left but ash in a pile.

"What do we do? Its too soon! Our plan is going to fail and in the most spectacular way! I don't want to fight a horde of Grimm you know." Emerald panicked.

"We can still do this don't worry child..." She walked over to the digital receiver, "I just have to talk to an imbecile...first..."

* * *

><p><strong>Forever Fall Forest<strong>

Bruno sprinted back into "Safe" grounds once again. Seeing as there was no hell bent high class Grimm on his tail he decided to rest. Using aura he forced the remaining shrapnel his body to be jutted out. The pieces fell out one by one hitting the ground harmlessly while the wounds healed themselves. The sheer amount of shards that impaled him were enough to kill a man ten times over. ' Five or six gunshots are DEFINITELY nothing compared to the force of that blast and this amount of shrapnel...' He cringed once more, ' I hate this curse. Why do I have it.'

He was worried. He had a good reason to be worried. The Harbinger itself was really close to the border of civilization. Its not the first time this has happened. The tragedy of Zebir being case and point but, the Harbinger was a different story. Out of all the S-Classes there are only few that are known to lead with leadership. The Harbinger was one of them. With the Harbinger being so close he knew the amount of time before a full scale war would draw close.

The amount of damage he sustained affected his aura reserve yet it was not enough to worry about. He would make it back to the rendezvous point where Richie would be waiting. He had contacted the pilot, or at least tried to. His scroll was nearly thrashed. He hoped luck was on his side. He wanted to get back to beacon and collapse on the large cedar tree.

* * *

><p><strong>Beacon<strong>

Tir was frustrated no she was going insane. If he comes back she was going to smack him into next week. She knew he was always like this but, she had enough, she was going to give him hell.

Ruby had walked in on her mentor while she was fuming. "Miss Tir? Is there something wrong?"

Tir was knocked out of her intense state and stared up at a concerned looking Ruby. " It's nothing too serious Ruby. Someone's just giving me trouble."

"Don't tell me is it Bruno?" Ruby cracked a smile.

" Yes, you could say that."

" Why don't you just tell him already."

"Tell him what?"

"Its obvious, everyone can see it."

"Ruby, I don't know what your talking about." Tir was surprised, this girl was surprisingly perceptive and from what she observed over the last few weeks, she had the qualities of a leader but the only flaw was perception, at least not in a real dire situation.

" We ALL know you like him. He is the only one that can push your buttons too." She hit it dead on.

" Oh really? What about you child. I see the way you look at a certain blonde boy." Tir thought, ' Pay back is in order.'

"W-wha?" Ruby immediately attempted to switch the topic, " So, about the report due tomorrow."

"Don't change the subject you started this." Tir grinned.

"Look, I don't like-like the guy I just think hes interesting." Ruby tried to convince Tir.

"Oh really~ let me guess he has an interesting weapon and you want to dissect it. Also he had blue charming eyes that you can't help but stare into, with the conviction to boot." Tir teased.

"Ye- No wait! No!" Ruby exploded.

Tir smirked. "Gotcha."

"Ugh" Ruby had no comment.

"Achoo!" Jaune sneezed for the fifth time while meditating on his bed. It was obviously not working due to the hyper active Valkyrie bouncing about. So he just pulled out the latest issue of a popular comic and started reading.

"You are not getting a cold are you Jaune?" Pyrrah asked worried.

"No I feel fine. It must be allergies...though I do not know of any I have during this time of year." He assured Pyrrah.

"Someone must be talking about you then." Ren voiced his conclusion, " They say some sneezes are people talking about you. Malicious or not remains to be seen though."

"You believe that Ren?" Jaune looked at him strangely.

"Of course not, its fun to say though." Ren smiled.

* * *

><p><strong>Ozpin's office<strong>

Ozpin was on edge, the council was being uncooperative with his requests and questioned his sanity in some. He now understood why Bruno hadn't wanted to seek an audience now. He pinched the bridge of his nose till he got an emergency call. He quickly hit the button.

On the screen he stared at a wrecked immortal. Bandages laid across his torso and his attire was scorched.

"Ozpin, you are not going to like this. Looks like that time prediction was spot on. We do not have much time." Bruno yelled over the loud bullhead over the pilots shoulder.

"What do you mean?" Ozpin gripped his cane.

"The Harbinger is close to the outer land borders. I had a little run in with it actually. Nearly killed me, my regeneration is doing jack squat. Looks like I have to heal this one with natural time. Heh, its been a while. Damn high class." Bruno yelled over the pilot which paled at the information he just got.

"Is it okay to tell this information in front of that pilot?" Ozpin's eyes narrowed.

"Yea, he knows of our plans which is why he is risked his life to drop and pick me up. I am going to rest. I'll be back in beacon in 3 days if things go swimmingly. If not tell Tir sorry haha. I am going to rest I'll report any events." Bruno saluted Ozpin while Ozpin returned it. The screen shut off leaving the front door to his office now visible. Ozpin reclined back into his seat and let out a wary sigh. 'looks like I have to put this into full gear despite the words of the council. If I am not headmaster next year, I'll round up the most willing students and train them to the best of my abilities with all the professors.' He chuckled a bit, ' Besides, it will take the council a long while to find someone as competent as my staff and myself.'

* * *

><p><strong>Three days later Beacon landing pad<strong>

Bruno stepped out of the bullhead after briefly thanking his buddy pilot with a firm handshake and a salute. He grimaced at his wound underneath his shirt, it was a fairly thin gash yet, it showed no signs of healing even after he had activated his regenerative semblance for now it only held back the bleeding a bit. The residual black residue hanging around his wound also disturbed him. If the Harbinger learned what the Scourge could do. That meant that the S-classes have capacity to learn and this war will be hell on earth. He hoped it was simlar to the Scourges anyway, they had a cure for that.

He saw all of the teens minus a certain woman as the ship flew away. A sense of dread resided over him.

It was not even twenty seconds when he received a hard curved fist as he sailed into one of Beacon's many pillars breaking it in half as he continued to sail into the next leaving a large crack.

"That HAD to hurt." Yang grimaced at what she had just witnessed.

"Yea." Everyone deadpanned. Their heads swung back and forth between Tir and Bruno who was engraved into the pillar.

"Glad you missed me Tir." Bruno joked and coughed. He felt the wound tear even more from the sheer force he had been hit with.

"You insufferable, reckless man! You realize you could of died back there?!" She charged again hitting him again just as hard as he was sent through the pillar he was stuck in.

Various students watched in horror at the spectacle. Some even pulled their scrolls out to report to the staff.

"It was necessary Tir. I -" Tir had caught up to him and slammed him into the ground. He winced in pain once more, "And you are certainly making my wound worse."

She stopped when she noticed a discoloration in his shirt. She touched his chest and pulled back looking at her palm. Blood.

"Oh my lord Bruno! We have to get you to the infirmary now!" Tir pulled him up.

"That is where I planned to go you hot-headed woman! In fact, I feel in a worse state now than before I fought the Harbinger!" He was a bit angry but, he certainly deserved what he got.

Tir smacked him in the head once more and started to drag him towards the infirmary.

"That just happened." Jaune uttered.

"Yea, that just happened." everyone else chimed in.

"What about our training?" Pyrrah broke everyone out of their trance.

"Free time until things are sorted out I guess." Yang suggested.

"True, who wants to go grab some food." Ruby suggested.

"You mean strawberries and cookies." Weiss accused.

" Yea! I don't understand why you don't find them the greatest thing in the world!" Ruby exclaimed.

" I don't hate them Ruby... I just find your habit of eating them...excessively unhealthy." Weiss stated.

" Well, what are we waiting for! I call all the remaining pancakes!" Nora dashed towards the mess hall.

" I want something more home cooked for a change." Ren said as he walked off after Nora.

" I am with you there bro! Let me into that kitchen as well!" Jaune ran to catch up with his teammate.

"You can cook Jaune?" Weiss said in disbelief.

" Of course I can! Arc's are to be completely self-sufficient, unless we marry we are to take care of our selves...at least the men do...combat training and all..." He slumped a bit remembering depressing memories. He thought he had gotten over most of them but, there were lingering doubts regardless of what Bruno had told him along with many others.

Pyrrah and Ruby shot a look at Weiss who recoiled and apologized silently as they watched the blonde mope towards the kitchen with Ren in front of them.

Ren patted him on the back and gave him a reassuring smile, " I am sure it was for the best for you in mind."

Jaune cheered up considerably at the words of his friend, "Thanks."

"No need to thank, just be yourself and stay with all of us till we must part." More wise words from his friend. Jaune nodded and opened the door to the mess hall holding the door for all his friends.

On the way in Weiss lightly pat his shoulder apologetically. He just smiled at her letting her know she was not at fault.

Ruby and Pyrrah could not help but feel kind of jealous at the silent exchange.

Yang took notice of this and grinned while Blake remained neutral. Though, she had grinned slightly.

* * *

><p><strong>Infirmary<strong>

"Wow it got you good despite it being shallow." Tir stared at the diagonal gash that ran down his torso.

"Well Tir...It bled more from your strikes taxing my body than I ever did fighting it." He complained.

"You deserved everything you got."

"I know. That's why I did not dodge any of it." He smiled.

"Please." Tir rolled her eyes. "So, why was the Harbinger so close to the border."

"I don't know, I have a feeling it has to do with the operations of the White Fang along with another group."

"Not a group, a woman." Tir shifted her legs briefly before deciding to prop them up on his bed after the medics patched him up and left the room for their privacy.

"Who is it?"

"Cinder. Cinder Fall, wears a crimson one piece dress embroidered with symbols of a master Elementalist. Fire to be exact." Tir said in a flat one.

"So my instinct was right, I should of ended her then and there." Bruno said out loud.

"There is no way you could have known, you are a sensor but, if you acted on feeling alone everyone would be gone sooner or later."

"True, what is she trying to accomplish."

"That Bruno, I do not even know." Tir crossed her arms.

"Maybe this can help." He tossed her a chip. "Neo sent it. Could contain exactly what we want."

"That runt? I don't know how you can just live knowing that your brother had lived and practically binged on your fame and practically got what ever he wanted now you-"

"Have really distant family spread across the four corners of this globe? Even if they do not know it themselves? Of course I am not angry, my brother did what I could not. That is continue on the family line. One way or another." He interrupted, " Jin will always be my brother Tir. Besides I am not worthy of anything." He stopped himself when he saw her face full of a mix of worry and longing.

' If you only could open up. It has long been past that self torture method of yours after losing her and your team Bruno...' she frowned slightly.

' Perhaps it is way past time since the days of old standing along side my precious teammates. Its time to move on. I must be a big fool to her right now. We might as well enjoy our time. I still feel guilty about telling the half truth to both Tir and the disciples.' In truth, he had very limited time. He was a tired man. He had no doubt by the time this ordeal was over he would disappear like he should have all those years ago, for good. He stared at the woman in front of him. ' Well, here goes nothing.'

"Say wanna go grab a bite to eat?" He asked surprising her.

"...Is that you asking me out for a date?" she propped one eyebrow, "Maybe you did get hit a little too hard." She wanted to hit herself for what she just said.

"You could say that." He smiled lightly.

'Oh. My. Lord!' was all she could think. ' Gotta answer!' "Sure why not! Where in Vale shall we go?"

"I have a place in mind... also what about a movie I haven't seen one in ages." Bruno offered once more.

"Me neither, why not? Lets give the teens a break they've been training hard the time you were gone after all." She got up and put her hand on his shoulder and began to leave, "I'll see you later. Don't move around too much, the technique they used on you should remove that residual black energy allowing you to heal good as new soon." She turned around and made her way towards the door, "Best not keep me waiting." She grinned.

"Oh I won't trust me." He never really looked at Tir closely over the time they knew each other surprisingly. He was too busy caught up in his own self loathing deep within in consciousness to have time.

He grasped his fists at how much of a fool he was and she probably knew it. He chuckled at how she could stay with him for so long. Well, he was going to make it up as best as he could.

True to Tir's word the treatment had cleared most of his wounds of the black residue. He let his semblance do the work and got up. Just as he was about to put on his hood he sensed someone infiltrate the infirmary. He smiled knowing who it was.

"The hell are you doing here Neo. Where is Roman?" Bruno turned around to see a smiling very distant family member. The smile soon faded, transforming into a frown.

Her silence was deafening it wasn't a good silence either.

" So I am either guessing hes dead, or on the run." Bruno finished putting on his cloths.

"..." She nodded from side to side then up and down.

" Cinder is a ruthless woman." He sighed, "Well, I'll introduce you to the rest of the gang, don't cause too much mischief around here. It is a school after all." He warned her.

She had a devious smile which earned a flick to her nose.

"I mean it, I will tell Asin." He smirked.

She shivered and complied.

* * *

><p>After a short scroll message everyone was called to their meeting spot.<p>

Neo and Bruno stood idly waiting for everyone to finally appear. Bruno's eyes twitched slightly at Neo's inability to stand still while checking out various parts of the sparring arena.

"Neo! Stand still your driving me nuts!" How Roman put up with her was beyond him even if she was related to him he could never understand it.

Neo just smiled at him and disappeared as the double doors opened.

He sighed once more.

"Hey Bruno! What did you call all of us here for?" Ruby yelled from the entrance.

"Well get in here and I can introduce you." He replied.

"To who?" Jaune looked around confused due to no one being anywhere near him.

"To a really distant relative that I will root to the ground if she doesn't make an appearance...Now!" He held back his temper.

With that Neo appeared next to him hiding her grin. Her mission was successful. ' Piss off immortal grandpa.'

Bruno smacked her on the head keeping his fist there. "Meet Neo the Runt. She has been working as a double agent not too long ago until her subject of interest suddenly got booted from his position and is running for his life."

Neo pouted at her nickname. She signed towards him about making fun of her height.

"Oh she's mute too." Bruno ignored the furious signing.

"N-nice to meet you." Jaune said offering his hand, everyone waved and repeated.

She stared at Jaune then at Bruno.

"Yes, he is an Arc, untrained yes, but an Arc regardless." Bruno smiled.

Then without a second thought Neo shook his hand furiously throwing Jaune off balance.

"Shes just excited to meet an Arc. Despite your family wanting to lay low in general Jaune the Sieg family and all related to Sieg family know of all of the Arc accomplishments." Bruno explained.

The doors opened once more revealing a group of second years.

"Team CFVY! How are you guys?" Ruby asked.

Bruno looked at the second years and waved.

"Bruno, that guy has similar eyes to yours is he immortal too?" Yang whispered.

"No...those eyes are of a man who has lost sight Yang." Bruno corrected seeing her frown.

"Now I feel bad." She whispered.

" I doubt he'll mind, I think he'll really mind if you treat him any different though." Bruno patted her on the back.

Team CFVY walked down the greet the two teams.

"I see were are not the only ones wanting to spar today." Coco the leader of the team perked an eyebrow, " And we have the veteran here today too..."

Bruno put a hand up, "Ah, just having a real greeting after getting mercilessly punched through several pillars...ha ha..ha"

"Yea, we all saw that you sure you should be out of the infirmary from what we saw you were bleeding profusely." Yatsuhashi asked in a genuine worried tone.

"Oh I am fine now, all healed up!" Bruno smacked his chest.

"I see," Yatsuhashi seemed to have relaxed at the sight of the veteran's well being.

"I'll be taking my leave now...I kind of have an important thing to get ready for. Neo please...PLEASE don't cause too much trouble." Bruno pleaded

"Let me guess a date with Tir" Yang accused.

"How did you know Mrs Xiao Long..." Bruno's eyes narrowed.

"I didn't but you just confirmed it." Her grin so wide it would of broken her face, "Have fun~"

Bruno remained silent and turned around. ' How did I even run into that so easily now I won't hear the end of this for months.'

He closed the sparring arena doors behind him ignoring the comments being made towards Tir and himself. ' Whatever.'

" For an old war veteran he doesn't look it." Coco said after witnessing Bruno leave.

"I can't read him at all." Fox said, "Makes it hard for me to 'see' him too. I could only see him when he wanted me to."

" That's easy! He's im-" Ruby and unsurprisingly Nora were interrupted. Ren's hand covering Nora's mouth specifically while Ruby was simply cut off.

"Hes immensely skilled, he hardly broke a sweat fighting off Grimm while we were in a bit of a spot." Weiss quickly said, "He is also one of our mentors for training as we've said." she added.

" I don't doubt that." Fox agreed, " I just want to know how he does it."

"Probably years of honing his skills." Pyrrah said. ' Lots of years no, a couple hundred years.' She said internally.

"Anyway, have you heard the news? Grimm activity is off the charts! Requests are coming in to both fourth years and veteran hunters alike. I am surprised that veteran hasn't been shipped off yet. I don't doubt he still has the skill to get rid of them." Coco said in calm demeanor, " My team felt like we needed to train in order to be prepared in case the worst happens so we decided to come here."

"Well, we won't keep you from doing just that." Jaune smiled and walked towards the double doors.

"Where are you going Arc? I heard about your family despite being 'under wraps' I hear you guys are both merciless and geniuses of the battlefield. I would like to spar one, even if he is one year under." Coco spurred on.

"Uh... I am not sure if that's a good idea... I am not much of a challenge." Jaune attempted to get out of this situation.

"I also would like to see how I would fair against the four time Mistral Champion." Fox bowed in front of Pyrrah.

"I would be happy to oblige a spar." Pyrrah's face lit up at the chance of a real challenge.

"Ugh," Jaune nearly slumped, ' Damn it Pyrrah I wanted to NOT fight.' He just remained silent and walked over to empty sparring ground. "Well, might as well Coco, please don't humiliate me too much."

" He seems like that but...he's pretty damn good." Yang whispered at Coco.

" How do you know." She asked

" We're tied in sparring win/loss ratio." She grinned, " I plan to fix that too."

"Interesting." She pulled down her shades at the boy who was growing impatient. " This might be fun."

"I hope you'll spar me as well Lie Ren" Yatsuhashi bowed, " I would love to fight a man such as yourself."

"Of course!" Ren did a slight bow keeping his eyes on Yatsuhashi, " I would love to see how I would fair against you as well." Ren was genuinely interested. Yatsuhashi's weapon was one he never fought against.

Velvet and Nora just stood there, "I cannot really spar with my weapon... it kinda has a special function when requires a lot of time Nora I am sorry."

"That's alright Velvet I want to watch Renny fight!" Nora smiled as she walked up to the observer seats.

"I would like to watch Yatsuhashi battle also." Velvet followed suite.

"He's not going to beat Renny!" Nora challenged.

"Oh huh...we'll see about that." Velvet smiled

Team RWBY sat down with the two spectators eagerly wanting to watch the matches unfold.

The other pairs in ready to spar waited on the lower benches to spar.

* * *

><p>Cinder Fall was afraid. All of her careful planning, careful operations, perfect choices of henchmen, and all of it resulted in a colossal failure. She stared in horror as her men one by one reported to the main base. Not a good report by all means. Each one of them either screamed bloody murder as she hurt growling in the background or men reporting somewhat calmly before she heard the tearing of flesh. At first she was angry but, when the amount of bad reports increased dramatically she paled. Her two right hands looked sick from listening to the various reports each containing the howls of Grimm while they tear at flesh.<p>

" Lord Monty, we have created a mess. There is no way to fix this now..." She wracked her noggin thinking all the possible solutions. Then she remembered Roman's report before he screwed up royally to her.

" _I have captured a trespasser, he seems to wear some high quality stuff sugar, his attire consists of black jeans, a hoody modified for combat ; red mind you, a hilt for something; seems kind of useless to me; some REALLY high quality dust and, he has the semblance of regeneration. Ha ha I shot him five or six times and it healed instantly, Insane ability though I think a kill shot would end him as anyone would. Strange thing about him though, hes not blind but he seems to have white eyes with an iris. Reminds me of one of my henchmen somehow... but that's just me rambling. Shoot ya another message of updates on who exactly this guy is darling~ Ciao~"_She cringed at his last words but some how that description reminded her of a stranger she had passed by.

Of course, she payed it no mind but, she was a very experienced woman. The man literally was a blank. She could not sense aura in him whatsoever nor any intent. She remembered turning around to only witness no one behind her in an instant. No one can completely hide their aura, not even her but he managed to do so. Even inexperienced people who never picked up a weapon on their lives leak a faint amount of aura. The one exception being of the legendary Arc family. Their auras were unique by nature to begin with. Traditional techniques used against an Arc would most likely kill the person unless highly compatible or skilled when unlocking their auras which is why the family forced their children to unlock aura themselves or die in the process. She had a strange feeling this man would be a large factor and needed to seek help.

This man was not part of the Arc family due to his facial features eyes and hair. She had to find him to fix this mess she made but where. She realized there was no time as she saw the Harbinger leading Grimm and attempting to breach the outer lands of Vale...She pulled up the console and told her henchmen.

"Go try to find info on a man with black hair, scarred face with white eyes, wearing a red hoody and black jeans. He wields a hilt around his waist and seems to carry a combat belt with many pouches while I search and probe archives here! Go! We don't have much time children." She ordered.

Both Emerald and Mercury nodded without hesitation and disappeared.

"How could this backfire, I was sure I would have control over most of the Grimm." She cursed, " At least I wouldn't think they would literally aim for me specifically I thought they were mindless creatures..." She knew that statement was true yet false but she believed humans and faunas alike had superior minds. So she naturally came to the conclusion: With the right tools, you could control a lesser being. She was wrong, so wrong this could end everyone including her.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Yea, I made him related to Neo. Seemed logical to me, (Tir can't change her eyes at least I don't think she can lol and I'd like to think Bruno had similar attitudes and qualities in his past, not much is known about his past yet but ill get there eventually if you guys want it including Jaunes distant relative.) I have strayed far far from canon anyways. Dunno if I'll include Cardin and his merry band of bullies (dont know yet). And yes Bruno's Brother WAS busy...yep not going into much detail. Dunno about lemons but if you want me to stick one in there...(I prefer bloody scenes) i guess... but for now. not right now. Not too sure on the pairing of the teens but w/e my mind goes it will be that way... like it or not I guess? but w/e i've rambled on too much off to sleep (wrote at 11 p.m) and ill start working on the next chapter as soon as I can for those that still read this heh.**


	12. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10 – Improvement**

Jaune walked over to the weapon rack and pulled out a bastard sword and shield. He had been researching basic swordsmanship and block tactics with Bruno's permission ever since the first sparring session. Bruno agreed it would speed things up considerably so he allowed him to study the forms.

" You have a perfectly able sword beside your hip Jaune...why are you pulling out a normal sword and shield?" Coco frowned.

"Not allowed to, Veteran's orders." Jaune smiled

"Its your funeral." She waited for the blonde to make his way over.

The timer began to count down.

5

4

' Remember Tir's training. Pour aura into the shield and sword. Reinforce them, make them your own.

3

His borrowed weapons began to glow a ghostly white with searing flame. He realized he couldn't augment them further, he simply did not possess the degree of control for it.

2

"Wow, not bad." Coco was impressed at the sight.

1

Jaune opened his eyes.

-BEEP-

Both shot toward each other.

Jaune pulled up his kite shield leaving just enough room for him to see Coco's move.

Coco being faster than Jaune came within Jaune's striking distance before he could react.

Coco feinted to the right, swinging her bag toward's the blonde's head.

Jaune reacted by parrying the bag with his sword and twisting with his shield in an attempt to bash her away.

Coco dodged out of the way safely and capitalized on his brief imbalance by re-entering strike distance with a thrust of her bag.

Jaune slanted his body which allowed the hit to harmlessly be deflected by his chest plate taking minimal damage. He used the momentum he gained and spun slamming his whole shield into her. The spin was so fast she had no time to counter.

The shield smashed her in the middle of her body throwing her breathing out of whack for a couple seconds while she skidded backwards. She had no time to recover as Jaune was already charging at her.

She struggled to dodge the blonde knight's furry of stabs and slashes. Deciding she had enough she caught the tip of the blade with her bag and shoved it upwards then brought her bag down onto the knight.

Jaune hastily pulled his shield over his head and took the bag's full force. To Jaune's surprise, even with an aura enhancement the shield literally shattered under the pure force, barely dodging the bag as it continued to arc downwards.

"One down," She followed up with another bash aimed up at the sword itself. Effectively shattering it also, " None left." She smiled, " Now your helpless."

Jaune pulled back and stared incredulously at the broken blade. He threw it aside and remained in a natural stance.

"Now hes helpless." Fox said, "Checkmate."

"I wouldn't be so sure." Yang denied.

"He lost his main weapon." Yatsuhashi stared at the blonde knight.

"Yea but, he is not out of options...in fact I have lost to him in hand to hand." Yang admitted.

"What? I thought you were undisputed in hand to hand!" Fox's expression was priceless.

"In the few spars I've had with other students in the time I've been here yes, but to him," She pointed, "We are tied." Yang once again admitted a little grudgingly, " I'll win the next one. Now quiet I'm trying to prepare for when we have to fight by studying him more closely..."

Everyone sweat dropped at how far she was willing to become the top.

"I hope your not all sword and shield Jauney Boy or I am going to be diss-" Coco had no chance to complete her sentence.

Jaune came at her with an onslaught of fists similar to Yang's style. He threw haymakers following into fast snappy kicks. Everyone of his attacks keeping Coco on her toes.

Coco retaliated with a swift counter aimed at Jaune's head with her bag from his left side.

Jaune's hand made contact with the bag but instead of out right blocking it he went with the blow catching the bag and pulling her towards him. In an instant he laid a palm akin to Ren's style of fighting into her. Jaune's palm strike lacked the amount of finesse and control Ren had but he made up for it in a wild burst of aura. The blow sent Coco reeling towards the wall after hearing her grunt in pain.

She transformed her bag into a Gatling gun deciding she had enough. She aimed at the blonde knight and revved up her Gatling gun.

Jaune's eyes widened at the sight and took a more speedy stance similar to Bruno's with his center of gravity low with his fists up and his body slightly leaning forward. He was pouring aura into his legs knowing he wouldn't be able to keep up physically.

Coco let loose after hitting the ground firing a major storm of bullets Jaune's way.

Jaune was quick on his feet with speed close but not quite to Ruby's own speed. He dodged side to side ducking under the stream of bullets that threatened to put him out of commission after taking even a second of of it.

He attempted to get closer to Coco but found it increasingly harder to get closer seeing as his allowance to dodge was narrowing the closer he got.

The deadly game continued for a good while until Coco's gun suddenly stopped firing. She stared at the rotating barrel of her Gatling gun rotating and cursed internally.

Jaune saw this as an opportunity to rush in. He was pretty drained from the constant dodging physically, despite having aura to augment his movements, so he aimed to end this with the next blow.

Coco sensed his desperation while folding her gun back into a bag. She quickly put down the bag and took a Orthodox stance, her arms are at temple level and her feet are slightly more spread than a normal boxing stance.

Jaune threw a left haymaker as a feint that would go into Yang's uppercut with his right.

Coco did not fall for it, she parried and punished him hard with a well placed elbow at his chest sending him backwards skidding across the arena. The sound of his armor scraping against the ground to be heard throughout the arena.

"Ugh," He got up and inspected his dented chest piece while coughing uncontrollably.

"You should be out for the count with that strike." Coco's eyes narrowed at the sheer tenacity of this boy.

He remained silent and struggled into a natural stance once more. He spat out a bit of blood and looked at her beckoning her to attack.

He was almost spent, his body was screaming and the last hit he took had took his tole on his body. His semblance only partially blocked that force of a hit. The woman's strength augmented with aura could rival Nora. Jaune prepared all that he could at the opponent charging at him.

Coco attacked with snappy kicks at his mid section and legs following into various elbow strikes as she got closer.

She got aggravated as she felt contact but not a real solid hit. Jaune was effectively deflecting her hits with minimal damage despite taking that hard hit.

Jaune was equally as frustrated. She was not allowing him the luxury of a clean hit. He could only keep it up for so long. He was forcing his body into limits and his aura levels were rapidly dropping.

"They have been dancing for a while now. Vomit Boy keeps surprising me, I would be down for the count at that elbow strike." Yang studied Coco's style, " Shes adept in the arts of Muay Thai too. Jaune can't lay a clean hit which he really needs right now."

Jaune attempted to enhance his vision to see the strikes but decided against it, his aura level was low and he needed every bit of it. Seeing as he was going nowhere he took a gamble.

He attempted to bait Coco into an uppercut. He made his chin seem more vulnerable at least, to the amount he would allow.

Coco took the bait, at least to him. He veered to the side and under it as quickly as possible and poured aura into another palm strike as he made contact with her mid section once more. Right as he released the aura burst a sharp boost of pain shuttered throughout his upper body. Coco had driven her elbow down onto his back, also aura boosted.

Jaune was pile drived into the arena floor with an audible thump however Coco was not scot-free, Jaune's palm strike was enough to make her to fall unconscious.

The observers cringed at the outcome.

" Tie?" Everyone stared at the two unconscious combatants.

"Tie" They all agreed.

"I'll carry Vomit Boy to the infirmary." Yang sprang up.

"No, I'll get him." Pyrrah got up but Yang stayed upright.

"You have a spar you promised." Yang pointed over to Fox.

"And I have my leader who's injured." Pyrrah argued.

"Its alright, I'll carry Coco as well." Fox got up, " She is kinda our leader too." He smiled down at his face down leader from the bleachers, " It's been a while since she been knocked out like that, that leader of yours is something he must of trained hard to get here."

Pyrrah and others literally kept their poker faces to Fox's statement for it had been the complete opposite.

" Or maybe the fact that he has Arc blood running through his veins." Fox came to another conclusion.

This one seemed to make more sense to everyone and they nodded.

" Well, we should probably get them checked out. Leaving them on the floor like that isn't particularly healthy for both of them..." Ren interrupted everyone's thought process. He shook his head at Pyrrah and Fox scrambling towards their fallen respective leaders.]

"Say where did Neo go? Wasn't she here a second ago?" Ren looked around for the small girl.

The remaining looked around the room and found it devoid of the girl.

* * *

><p><strong>Bruno and Tir<strong>

Lady Luck never had a thing for the guy. He was staring at a urgent message from Ozpin. ' Damn it just got good.' He noticed Tir laying her head on his shoulder and smiled. They were watching a normal action movie with a hint of romance in it. It seemed decent and it had good ratings. They were simply at a slow part.

"Sorry Tir, important business with Ozpin. Enjoy the movie, I'll be outside as to not disturb the other good people here." Bruno squeezed her shoulder lightly while she simply nodded.

Bruno stepped out into the bright hallway of Vales Theater. He called back the professor wondering what was up.

The scroll lit up and asked for a direct feed which he accepted. Upon accepting Ozpin appeared with a Crimson woman behind him. His rage flared a bit at the sight but he didn't allow it to take over.

"Ozpin excuse me for a second, Neo do not do what you are thinking of doing, she's way over your head." The woman smiled relaxing her right hand which had a hint of flame. Neo appeared and showed fear having white eyes standing behind both the woman and Ozpin. Seriously, the flames the woman was emitting gave it all away and knowing his niece she would be the one capable of attempting an assassination.

"Now, what do I owe this unpleasant call Ozpin and also since when did you let the woman who we've been searching for into your office." He leaned his back against the wall, "If Tir sees her she is going to kill her without question. I can't stop her either."

"What makes" The woman tried to make a snarky comeback when she was interrupted.

"What makes her able to kill you is vast, vast, vast experience Cinder Fall, It will not take a second to blast you into oblivion, even less for myself." He shot back one eye crimson and one eye white.

"Y-you are just like her!" she pointed at Neo, "Don't tell me, you two are related in some messed up way!"

"Very distant relative actually. You could say I am a geezer by your standards." He peeked back into the theater to see Tir patiently waiting, " Look, as much as you guys want to inform me of something urgent, I doubt my partner will like waiting very long so tell me. Now."

"Mr. Bruno Sieg this matter is of most importance bring Tir by your side so Cinder can explain herself." Ozpin tapped on his cane.

"No, tell me right now, she is preoccupied and so am I." He was getting impatient he did not want to incite Tir's wrath.

"The Harbinger is amassing forces." Cinder blurted out before getting immediately interrupted.

"And what do I NOT know Cinder, I saw it back at Roman's base which I blew up. Its not dead but by now it has probably wiped out all your bases, negative emotions attract the worst. Having bases that close to the wilderness is just asking for it. If you think it will attack Vale or any of the kingdoms any time soon within the year you are sadly mistaken. Old Grimm are not stupid, over the years they have grown wise, any hunter can tell you this. As the seal weakens however, the opportunity for them to strike grows bigger. When those seals break, we will have to fight a dreadful battle. Now if you excuse me...I am going to enjoy this little break we have. Turn a new leaf and help us out will ya Cinder? One as skilled for being so young is very needed in order to win this. I'll meet you at Beacon if you are still there... Ozpin...I trust you have plans in effect in case the probability of it happening correct?"

Ozpin nodded silently.

"Good."

"I would like you to meet him Mr. Sieg he is on his way as we speak." Ozpin added in whilst taking a sip from his mug.

"Later."

He hung up ignoring the last piece of information and walked back into the theater.

"What was it?" Tir asked

"Oh nothing but, lets just say something I predicted happened and I only ask you not to kill when the time comes Tir." He smiled at her. She settled back into his shoulder.

"We'll have to see about that. If its about Cinder Fall I won't kill her I'll just rough her up a bit for causing a mess." She smiled deviously.

' Oh boy' Bruno rolled his eyes.

* * *

><p><strong>Beacon Office<strong>

"He knew?! How would he KNOW. I wasted my time looking for this man. I haven't even slept!" Cinder flared up scorching the ground.

"You are destroying my office and you are so lucky I haven't ended you myself Cinder. I haven't forgotten what you have done in the past and to think you have a major involvement in THIS situation! I must be insane for letting you stand before me." Ozpin said flaring a little anger as he ended.

"Oh come on Oz that was so long ago have a little heart to forgive me~ You can't blame jealousy now can you?" she walked towards the window, "Besides we no longer have the right to choose a side, This world may very well end if we don't combine both our powers, as well as the other kingdoms. I'll work my magic differently to garner results. I'll be around~, message me when that man comes back~" With a flick of her wrist she as gone, scaling down the spire.

Ozpin sighed and turned towards Neo. 'So you are related. Have you known he was an immortal since the beginning?' signed

Neo nodded in agreement to his question. She also signed 'Yes.'

'Also, are you eyes genetic or what?' Ozpin asked.

The girl looked at him and shrugged. She signed, ' My eyes used to be pink, when I started my training I began to notice the change in my eyes. Grand Uncle said his was the same but, he seems to control his more freely than I. Mine are based on emotion for the most part. I also have the same semblance as him fundamentally. Regeneration, which differed into creating illusions. His delved more into creation. He can make anything. Father however said the first generations were polar opposites, while grand uncle's brother was not a fighter in general, his semblance would have most likely been degeneration because that is my father's semblance. Somewhere down the line, most likely myself, the paths crossed over and I ended up having regeneration which I do not complain about. I have seen some instances where Grand Uncle's eyes changed by emotions. It must have affected him greatly. I am also well educated in the histories of the great heroes and their family lineages. In fact, many study here at this school. What surprised me even more is how they are naturally connected to one another despite not knowing their true heritages!' She sighed and once more signed, ' I am going to go have some "Fun," She put air quotes, ' Ciao, ' her target was a certain male of the Arc family due to how close her great uncle was with one of its primary predecessors. She disappeared from sight.

Ozpin was impressed with this girl, she was a Sieg alright in more ways than one.

* * *

><p><strong>Sparring Classroom<strong>

Ren dodged the large sword that came from his right and leaped out of the way.

Yatsuhashi twisted his blade after swinging his sword and followed up with a overhead cleave. The tip of his sword touched the ground and a giant shock-wave rung out.

Ren barely had time to dodge it only to be put on evasive duty once again.

Yatsuhashi swung his sword creating gales of sharp wind towards Ren. The lines were barely visible but with Ren's enhanced vision he could see them clearly.

As he dodged the myriad of gale cleaves he fired his weapons pegging Yatsuhashi.

Yatsuhashi remained unaffected as he added a slight twist in his cleaves. The motion created a clear tornado with winds strong enough to catch his auric bullets. The tornado rapidly flew towards Ren which took a different stance.

Ren calmly placed an open palm towards the tornado. As soon as the tornado made contact Ren applied his aura effectively neutralizing the moving razor.

"Impressive," Yatsuhashi was already closing the distance between him and Ren. His speed was fast but not as fast as Jaune and not nearly as fast as Ruby.

Ren fired another volley only to be knocked away by Yatsuhashi's blade. Yatsuhashi did a short cleave allowing him to strike faster than normal at Ren who dodged upwards delivering a kick to Yatsuhashi. It made contact hitting him in the chin.

Yatsuhashi caught his leg at the same time and threw Ren to the ground. The force of Ren's kick caused his vision to blur and his balance to be thrown off. He dug his sword in the ground to keep standing.

Ren got up with a slight wobble. Yatsuhashi tried to stay up with his greatsword but failed and fell to a knee. He looked up to see Rens foot to the side of his head.

"Yield." Ren said in a flat tone.

"I yield, boy that one hit threw my body out of whack, What did you do." Yatsuhashi attempted to get up but his body still wouldn't listen to what he wanted it to do.

"I hit your jaw which can cause two things, a knock out or in your case loss of bodily function affected by your nervous system. Its amazing your even conscious with that reinforced kick Yatsuhashi."

"Well I am pretty durable, ask Velv over there." He attempted to point but his hands would not move, "Nevermind."

"Don't worry its temporary it should come back soon." Ren would help the man up but doubt he could with the size difference.

Velvet and Nora rushed over.

"Yatsuhashi are you alright?" Velvet came over placing a hand on his back.

"Fine, just temporarily paralyzed. Ren got me good." He smiled at her.

"Your attacks are so cool! The ground was getting slashed even though you were far away! How do you do that! Imagine if I could do that with my hammer! There would be BOOMS everywhere!" Nora bounced around Ren and Yatsuhashi.

"Nora, our friend needs peace he is still recovering." Ren attempted to calm Nora down.

"He needs rest? I'll carry him over to the seats!" Nora picked up Yatsuhashi which yelped in surprise.

Ren was the only one not surprised, it was her semblance which he had known about for years after all.

* * *

><p>Bruno walked beside Tir as they were making their way back to Beacon after having their little outing.<p>

Bruno could not help but think of negative things on the way back. ' They have potential yet, they are far, far from where he wanted them to be. He wished he still had his team with him but, he knows they will never come back.' He stared at Tir who looked content with their date.

"What is it Bruno?" Tir gently squeezed his hand.

"Oh nothing just thinking." He squeezed her hand back.

' When it comes down to it, this war will not be easy.' He looked at the sky, ' If Cinder has the feed from her base cameras, maybe it could be used to convince the Council to get off their rockers and actually start preparing. Of course, they needed to be subtle in order to just not cause panic in the masses but, in reality there was no time.'

After passing the last line of shops in Vale they saw the airships in sight. ' Jaune is making great progress but he is far from complete, Tir told me his physical strength outside of aura was abysmal.' He chuckled as he sat on the far end of the bullhead Tir beside him, 'Owe it to the Arc family to do things in a roundabout way...No matter the boy will shape up within a year at his rate, now the question is the other seven, they are gaining better control yet their overall performance is abysmal at most. Jaune has made the most progress but he has had to crawl to get to the others points in abilities. Barely winning, in his book, was not good enough to fight a whole war. In war there was no time to pass out. You either live or you die. Still, he had the advantage of knowing his semblances more than the others but that could only go so far. He needed raw skill and stamina to be more rounded.' He sighed, ' Stamina being one of the keys here... they all pretty much needed more.'

The airship began to take off and Tir was concerned about Bruno. The whole time they were heading back to Beacon he had a serious look. She knew that the peace they are living in is only temporary. She knew they were going to have to fight or get wiped off this planet to be left surrounded by the dark. She knew all that but for today she just wanted the person she cared about the most to be happy.

"Bruno." She called out waiting for him to turn around.

Bruno was snapped out of his thought process. He turned around and his head went blank. The reason his head went blank was because the girl he had known for a real long time had just kissed him. The kiss was really short not lasting even a second but it was a kiss none the less.

"I know we have a heavy burden but, for today, please just relax. I had a great time." Tir was satisfied at the look he had given her.

Bruno's face relaxed and he smiled back at her. " Alright," He looked around the airship and saw they were the only ones inside so he hit the button calling the pilot.

"This is the pilot speaking what is it that you inquire?"

" I am sorry but could you turn this bird around and back towards Vale, I am Bruno Sieg. We are the only ones on this airship and we still have business in the city."

"Not a problem if you are the only ones flying with me today Mr. Sieg and should I inform the headmaster of anything?"

"Just inform him I'll be back later tonight." Bruno brought his arm around Tir pulling her close.

"We'll do just that Tir besides I think I owe you something." He didn't give her time to reply as he kissed her back. He kissed her slightly longer than when she first surprised him.

"Where did you learn to kiss." Tir raised an eyebrow.

" I am a natural, you are the second I've kissed." He grinned.

"So I am second huh I am guessing Rachel was the first." She knew about Rachel from his stories.

"Bingo but, that is the past." He squeezed her shoulder.

"I'll have you know you took my first." She said with a small pout.

"S-seriously Tir?! NOT EVEN ONCE THESE PAST HELLOVAALOTYEARS?! WHAT! YOU HAVE TO BE JOKING RIGHT?" He flew out of his seat.

"I am NOT joking. Besides, you can't even complain Mr. Too in Despair to get any!" She stood up to look up slightly at the man who was in disbelief. "Besides before this curse even happened we were fighting to even live."

"Well, I am sorry." He pulled her into a hug, "I was an idiot."

She wrapped her arms around him and tightened her embrace, "Don't be sorry, show me instead."

He pulled away, " Of course," He kissed her for the third time, " I love you," He whispered into her ear after breaking the kiss.

Tears formed around her eyes, she hugged him once more, " I love you too..." They stood there in that spot until the ship finally landed and they went back out into the city to have more fun.

* * *

><p>Jaune awoke to his whole body aching. He struggled at first to keep his eyes open.<p>

due to the blaring lights beaming down at him. He looked to the side to see Coco sitting on her bed.

" Looks like your awake Jaune, tell me how is it that you know so much moves similar to the way your team fights? Yet, despite having their abilities...it feels incomplete. Somethings missing... Experience or per say...training in their arts." Coco got up from the bed she was laying on in the infirmary and walked over to where Jaune which was still bed ridden from taking the worst of the spar.

"Uh.." Jaune did not want to reveal his secret.

"It's there in plain sight Jaune, I was merely summing up my deductions. Fashion isn't the only thing on my mind you know... You absorb techniques, that is your semblance, its close to being a mimic albeit not so. You cannot perfectly replicate. Aura techniques look like a no go also. I've seen Ren fight his strikes are more controlled than your own. Overall though, a very versatile semblance, I have no doubt taught you some of my techniques in our bout. Use them well Jaune. Seeing as your still battered and bruised I'll make my way out." She slapped him lightly on the side of his waist, "I'll tell spartan girl you are up. Cya" She waved the boy farewell.

She had hit everything spot on and it caused him to shudder at how accurate she was.

She was right, he looked like a guy who went through hell. He stared down at his dented chest armor and grimaced. He deduced from the looks of it it was beyond saving from all the pummeling it has received from the combined efforts of Yang and Coco over the days. ' Gonna need to order a new one, maybe with better materials and design in mind.'

He tested his arms and found them in somewhat of a working condition but his legs were thrashed. Despite parrying and deflecting most of Coco's strikes a few had actually hit him and the results were devastating. He was surprised he even held up his body. 'Well, if his body did hold up he wouldn't be stuck in this infirmary.' He chuckled to himself.

He stared at the ceiling wondering how he had made so much progress. Sure he was still weak physically but his aura and semblance made up for it for now. He was practically relying on it throughout the match with Coco as always. What amazed him is how much he had improved versus the amount of years he tried to teach himself. In fact, no matter how hard he tried, he could not unlock his aura. There were no books publicly and traditional methods were out of the question.

His father told him there was no shortcut to unlocking an Arc's aura and if he got someone to ever unlock his aura they would most likely die but his father also told him it took a real experienced warrior to unlock someones aura and at the time he knew know one that could. When he was pulled out of his daze talking with Pyrrah and realized she was unlocking his aura he nearly had a heart attack when he saw her nearly fall over. He never forgot the feeling he got at that moment. It was a feeling he did not ever want to replicate. The only feeling remained however, was the feeling that he had almost inadvertently killed someone.

At the same time, he had a feeling that confused him greatly. He denied every possibility of it due to his partner's particular status but he couldn't help but hope a little.

Jaune was pried from his thoughts when he heard the sound of a dozen airships. He shifted as much as he could towards the window to see a fleet of Atlasean ships landing onto Beacon.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Ok, that's over with.**

** More plot in next chapter most likely, and I may time skip in an upcoming chapter to help move things along. (Their fruits of their hardwork will be showcased no worries.)**


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